my first viceroy

So.

I have been following Monarch Butterflies for as long as I can remember. And I have always been aware of the Viceroy- the butterfly that cashes in on the Monarch’s toxicity by mimicking its colour and appearance, but not going through the bother of developing toxins for itself. Most birds don’t know the difference, and avoid them both. Once bitten, etc.

But I know the difference. The black band across the lower wings. Yet I had never seen one, until this past week. I went up to the Rouge after the heat wave broke to see if I could surprise the great grouping of Pearly Eyes we’d seen on the Canada Day count. I had just parked my car, hadn’t even got out, when I looked to my right, and lo and behold. There it was. My First Viceroy.

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