Soldier
Danaus eresimus (Cramer, 1777)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Danainae
Identification: Upperside is brownish orange, darker at the wing bases; both wings with thin black veins. Black borders of forewings have 2 rows of white spots; white spots are scattered at the forewing apex. Underside of hindwing has black veins; black borders of both wings have 2 rows of white spots. Upperside of male hindwing has a black scale patch. Very similar to the Queen (Danaus gilippus), but upperside of the forewing usually lacks larger white spots below the apex. Upperside is more orange and the wing veins are more defined than the Queen. Underside of hindwing has a band of blotchy pale spots, which are lacking in the Queen.
Wing Span: 2 3/4 - 3 3/4 inches (7 - 9.5 cm).
Life History: Not reported.
Flight: From August-December in South Texas; all year in southern Florida, most common from October-December.
Caterpillar Hosts: Milkweeds and milkweed vines.
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Open pastures and fields, edges of seasonally dry tropical forests.
Range: Southern Florida and South Texas south through the West Indies and Central America to Brazil. A rare stray to southern Arizona and southern New Mexico.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Conserve breeding areas in refuges along the lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 140 verified sightings
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/whatsapp_image_2024-02-21_at_5.38.04_pm.jpeg?itok=0-IYNyis)
Observation date: Feb 21, 2024
Submitted by: solecitoilu
Region: Managua, Nicaragua
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 10, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_0366_5.jpg?itok=Yl9RbVhx)
Observation date: Dec 08, 2023
Submitted by: Joceb2005
Region: Collier County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 28, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/soldier.jpeg?itok=T64nqRJb)
Observation date: Jun 12, 2019
Submitted by: ridgeboy
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 18, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_1331.jpeg?itok=CLC6xjN1)
Observation date: Jan 03, 2023
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: El Salvador
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: May 23, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_1993_10.jpg?itok=F94nIzgA)
Observation date: Dec 13, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_8354_3.jpg?itok=_9fhef-T)
Observation date: Nov 19, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_1123_7.jpg?itok=7vtyLuDz)
Observation date: Dec 05, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_9380_3.jpg?itok=j4UIkBi6)
Observation date: Nov 25, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/danaus_eresimus_1_soldier.jpg?itok=gMdXat7c)
Observation date: Jun 18, 2017
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Feb 06, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/amber_0280.jpg?itok=I0mY9Fr_)
Observation date: Dec 08, 2015
Submitted by: ajijic1936
Region: Mexico
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 18, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p1310890.jpg?itok=0yxa9RjG)
Observation date: Nov 10, 2022
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Texas, Starr County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 09, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/lower_aduana_danaus_eresimus_2019mar09.jpg?itok=f7kBv4gg)
Observation date: Mar 09, 2019
Submitted by: David F Smith
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 12, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_1926_6.jpg?itok=v7W0wV_z)
Observation date: Feb 04, 2020
Submitted by: SMagree
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 11, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/soldier05-11-2022a.jpg?itok=5Woswvib)
Observation date: May 11, 2022
Submitted by: humeston
Region: Highlands County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 13, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_5125_2_0.jpg?itok=0GeNTSe4)
Observation date: Feb 04, 2022
Submitted by: birdlady1
Region: Collier County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 06, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/soldier_danaus_eresimus_tethys_fl_palm_beach_county_-_green_cay_sept_8_2018.jpg?itok=ObFUNDLc)
Observation date: Sep 08, 2018
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 10, 2021
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/sold1.jpg?itok=DTWy8e7w)
Observation date: Nov 14, 2016
Submitted by: Rob Wu
Region: New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 01, 2021
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/soldier_1_d.jpg?itok=X79Hln24)
Observation date: Oct 28, 2019
Submitted by: wallap74
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 11, 2019
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/danaus-eresimus.jpg?itok=aduKG7Zs)
Observation date: Nov 08, 2018
Submitted by: Craig M Lipski
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 16, 2019
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/bf-soldier_-_10-22-2016_-_collins_ranch.jpg?itok=whczH6-u)
Observation date: Oct 22, 2016
Submitted by: TCollins
Region: Texas, Kerr County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 18, 2019
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/soldier_boyd_15may2019.jpg?itok=OylBr6FC)
Observation date: May 15, 2019
Submitted by: Ron Smith
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 16, 2019
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/socat.png?itok=kVe3wRzU)
Observation date: Nov 04, 2018
Submitted by: hydapse
Region: Texas, Starr County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 27, 2019
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/so_2.png?itok=8rE3gHLz)
Observation date: Nov 04, 2018
Submitted by: hydapse
Region: Texas, Starr County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 27, 2019
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/rio_rico_rd_21_soldier.jpg?itok=jmOBANdj)
Observation date: Nov 04, 2018
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 22, 2018
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