Monarch on Zinnia

I think the Monarch looks spectacular on a Zinnia.

btrfly-monarch-zinnia

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Queen or Monarch?

Although at first glance, this seems to be a Monarch, it is actually a Queen butterfly.

The Queen is a darker orange and has a more solid appearance compared to the stained-glass look of the Monarch.

btrfly-queeen

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The “trusty” internet told me that early North American settlers called this butterfly Monarch because of it regal orange appearance.

They named it in honor of King William, Prince of Orange.

btrfly-monarch-name

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High on my list of fun things to photograph are butterflies.

Sometimes, I go out looking for them before they arrive.

Instead, I find caterpillars.

I wonder if they have a clue about what their future holds.

It is a remarkable transformation process.

caterpillar-monarch

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