From Ohio History Central An image of the Viceroy Butterfly
Viceroy butterflies (Limenitis archippus) look almost identical
to the monarch butterfly. The identifying difference is that
viceroys have a black line across the hindwing and white dots in
the black band along the edge. Their wingspan reaches two and a
half to three and three-eighths inches. Because they resemble
the foul-tasting monarch it has few, if any, predators. Viceroys
are found in habitats that include moist open or shrubby areas
such as willow thickets, wet meadows, and lake and swamp edges
Males perch or patrol for females around caterpillar host
plants, including willow, poplar and cottonwood trees. Females
will lay eggs on the tip of the leaves. They will lay only two
or three eggs per plant. When the caterpillars emerge, they will
eat the eggshell and then begin at night to feed on catkins and
leaves of the host trees. Young caterpillars construct a ball
made of leaf bits, animal waste and silk, hanging off the leaf
on which they are f