Is this a monarch butterfly?

A friend and I were walking along a small brushy field the morning of Sunday, Sept. 29, when my friend pointed to a beautiful butterfly in a wild blackberry patch. Upon seeing it, I instinctively said, “That’s a monarch!” Even as I photographed it I thought it was a monarch.

Monarch butterflies are migratory insects. Their autumn migration south to Mexico begins in September and extends through October into about mid-November.

Further research revealed the butterfly I photographed was not a monarch. It is a butterfly that closely mimics the monarch. It is called a viceroy butterfly. The viceroy butterfly is common in much of North America and when seen is usually mistaken for a monarch.

Horrell is an artist and outdoorsman. He lives in Chaffee. He owns Painted Wren Art Gallery in Cape Girardeau.