Slay Queen... butterfly. 🪭   The queen butterfly is a close relative of the monarch butterfly and one of several species that mimics its iconic orange-and-black coloration — but why?   Both queen and monarch butterflies feed on milkweed plants, absorbing toxins that make them taste unpleasant to predators. Their bright colors serve as a warning signal, telling potential predators: “Don’t eat me!”   Because these butterflies share similar warning colors, a predator that has learned to avoid the bitter taste of a monarch may also steer clear of other butterflies with the same orange-and-black pattern, including queens!   A tip for telling apart a queen from a monarch? Queens lack some of the bold, black veining on their wings that we see in monarchs. This is especially noticeable when their wings are open!   Photos 1 and 3 of a queen butterfly by O. Burkholz/USFWS taken at Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada.   Photo 2 and 4 of monarch butterflies by USFWS #queenbutterfly