The Queen butterfly is related to two species to which it bears a striking resemblance: the Monarch (Danaus plexippus) and the Soldier (Danaus eresimus).
   It's home ranges are considered to be North, Central and South America and Africa.
   They can be found in meadows, fields, marshes, deserts, and at the edges of forests.
   They are active during the day, typically flying close to the ground.
   They flap their wings rapidly, and then glide for short periods. (Their flight patterns are both graceful and purposeful.)
   Male Queen butterflies are out looking for mates every day, especially on sunny afternoons.                   However, before a male gets a female to mate, they exercise the purest form of seduction.
   During a flight, the male will rub his hair pencils against the potential mate’s antennae.
   This rubbing produces a certain secretion that seduces the female, and if she is impressed, she will come to rest.
   After resting, the male will continue hair penciling which eventually leads to mating.
   When mating, the two butterflies remain coupled for up to an hour, resting on a suitable surface.
   Studies show that female Queens mate up to 15 times in a day.

   After mating, the male and female embark on a post nuptial flight, with the male carrying the female.

   The female will then fly, looking for a place to deposit the eggs.

    Females then look for a plant that their caterpillars can feed on.

   For Queen butterflies, their favorite host plants are Milkweed, Butterfly Weed, and Sand Vine.

   The eggs are usually deposited on leaves, flowers, and stem of these plants.

    . Their eggs will then hatch in 4-6 days, and caterpillars will emerge.

    Danaus gilippus are orange or brown with black wing borders and small white forewing spots on their dorsal wing surfaces, and reddish ventral wing surfaces fairly similar to the dorsal surface.

   The ventral hindwings have black veins and small white spots in a black border.

   The male has a black androconial scent patch on its dorsal hindwings.

    Subtle differences mark the males from females, particularly in the wing scale patches.

   Their diet, primarily milkweed, renders them distasteful to predators like birds, providing a natural defense mechanism.

   Potential predators include birds, spiders, wasps, and other insects.

   Caterpillars are also potentially preyed on by birds and other insects.

   There are seven recognized subspecies of the Queen butterfly, each adapted to specific geographical and / or ecological niches.

   Their conservation status is that they are not considered at risk.

   Adult lifespan 1 - 3 months.