Milkweed butterfly
From Free net encyclopedia
- For the mythological fifty daughters of Danaus, see Danaides.
{{Taxobox
| color = pink
| name = Milkweed butterflies
| regnum = Animalia
| phylum = Arthropoda
| classis = Insecta
| ordo = Lepidoptera
| divisio = Rhopalocera
| familia = Nymphalidae
| subfamilia = Danainae
| subdivision_ranks = Tribes
| subdivision =
Danaini
Tellervini
Ithomiini
}}
Milkweed butterflies are a subfamily, Danainae, in the family Nymphalidae of brush-footed butterflies. They lay their eggs on the milkweed on which their larvae (caterpillars) feed.
The best known member of this family is the Monarch butterfly.The larvae and the butterflies retain the poisonous glycosides from the milk weed. So they become poisonous to the predators.
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External links
- Milkweed Butterfly large format closeup photographs Cirrus Digital Imaging
- Danaid
- Danainae