We have had a few monarch butterflies visiting our nectar-laden plants and bushes this summer. Last year, I don’t recall seeing any, though we have butterfly bushes and pollinator attractors as well as milkweed necessary for the monarch larva. We have enjoyed seeing other butterflies, however, including lots of orange ones in recent weeks. I believe most of the orange butterflies visiting our yard are Viceroy butterflies. They are almost identical to Monarchs with similar orange-brown wings. A black line across the hind wing distinguishes it from the Monarch.
Other species of butterflies often confused with the Monarch are Queens and Soldiers. Queens are a little smaller than Monarchs with an orange/brown color with white spots and black borders. Soldiers are also smaller butterflies with white spots and black borders but have darker veins than the similar Queen.
Butterflies are fun to try to identify. Begin with these three species and expand and hopefully a few Monarchs will find some colorful flowers in your yard in the future.