Caterpillars of Pacific Northwest
Forests and Woodlands
Danaus plexippus [Danaidae]
The black, white and yellow rings of this species along with the oblique bands of black and yellow on the head make this a remarkably apparent caterpillar; also a pair of long, thin, and black tubercles on T2 and A8 are distinctive. The caterpillar sequesters cardiac glycosides from its milkweed host plant and is poisonous to potential vertebrate predators. This species is not common in the Pacific Northwest and only feeds on milkweeds during July and August.
Return to Photo Key to Species in Group B-1b - Colors in rings
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