# @usfws on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DaOfA-nkhrE
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/67468907-usfws-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/44adda7201.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-06-30T22:11:20.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (@usfws) — https://gondola.cc/usfws

## Caption

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

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## Tags

queenbutterfly

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