Is a red-spotted purple butterfly rare?
Red-spotted Purples and White Admirals are not among our most common butterflies, but they are not rare either. Given the substantial genetic, host plant, habitat and range differences between the two subspecies of Limenitis arthemis, L. a.
Where does a red-spotted purple butterfly live?
The Red-spotted Purple occurs mainly in the Eastern half of the United States, from Pennsylvania west to the mid-west, southward to eastern Texas, east to Florida. The butterfly is medium-sized with rounded dark wings. There several rows of white spots along the hind-edge of the wings.
What plants attract red-spotted purple butterflies?
Host plants used by the Red-Spotted Purple include cottonwood, wild cherry, willows, aspens, poplars, black oaks, hawthorn and other trees. It gathers nectar from a variety of flowers, but prefers tree samp, rotting fruit, dung and carrion.
Why is it called a red-spotted purple butterfly?
The red-spotted purple is so named because of its overall purple hue and for the red to orangish-red spots on the underside of the wings. The red-spotted purple avoids being eaten owing to its strong resemblance to the poisonous pipevine swallowtail butterfly (Battus philenor).
Where do red spotted purple lay their eggs?
Red Spotted Purple female butterflies prefer to lay eggs along the tips of cherry or willow leaves near water courses or along power or gas line right of ways near forest edges.
What is the meaning of a purple butterfly?
Often, seeing a purple butterfly can indicate that the person has dug into spiritual matters or is on the path to enlightenment. Another meaning related to them is that the person who sees the butterfly will soon reach awareness for a particular aspect of their life they want to reach.
Where do red-spotted purple lay their eggs?
Where do purple butterflies live?
southern England
The purple emperor butterflies live in the tree-tops of the landscapes that are well-wooded in central-southern England. The adult purple emperor butterflies are known to be elusive and usually occur at low densities over the large areas.
How do you raise a red-spotted purple butterfly?
While raising red spotted purple caterpillars on willows, cottonwoods, or wild cherries, one option is to place a “bouquet” of host plant in a glass terrarium and then secure the terrarium with a glass lid. This allows a nearly 100 percent humid environment which is appropriate for any admiral or viceory.
How do you attract red-spotted purple?
Habitat: Open areas near woods. Likes to perch on bare ground of dirt roads and parking lots, but also on paved roads. ‘Red-spotted Purple’ rarely nectars but can be attracted to gardens with “bait” of overripe fruit.
What do red spotted purple caterpillars eat?
leaves
Caterpillars of the red-spotted purple eat leaves of a variety of woody plants including cherry trees, poplars, and aspens. Two generations of this butterfly occur in Maryland and adults can be seen flying from spring through early autumn.
How do red-spotted purple butterflies eat?
Red-spotted purples are often seen visiting flowers of viburnum and privets for nectar but they also feed at sap flows and rotting fruit. Caterpillars of the red-spotted purple eat leaves of a variety of woody plants including cherry trees, poplars, and aspens.
Where does the red spotted purple butterfly live?
The Red-spotted Purple occurs mainly in the Eastern half of the United States, from Pennsylvania west to the mid-west, southward to eastern Texas, east to Florida. The butterfly is medium-sized with rounded dark wings. There several rows of white spots along the hind-edge of the wings. And four or so spots of orange above the white.
Is the red spotted purple butterfly the same as the white admiral?
I often get the Red-spotted Purple butterfly confused with Pipevine Swallowtails, Spicebush Swallowtails or Black Swallowtails. If the wings are closed, Red-spotted Purples look similar to White Admirals (Limenitis arthemis arthemis). In fact, the Red-spotted Admiral and the White Admiral are considered two different forms of the same species.
What kind of butterfly has red spots on its wings?
The Red-Spotted Purple butterfly is black with blue or blue-screen scaling. It features orange or red marks on the tips of the wings. At first glance, it appears to be a swallowtail. But it has no tails! It does mimic the distasteful Pipevine Swallowtail.
Is the viceroy butterfly related to the red spotted purple?
The red-spotted purple also interbreeds with the closely-related, congeneric viceroy butterfly, Limenitis archippus (Cramer), both in the laboratory and occasionally in the field (Platt 1975, Platt and Greenfield 1968, Covell 1994, Platt and Maudsley 1994, Platt et al. 2003, Ritland 1990).