Monday 16 October 2000

Western White Admiral (Limenitis arthemis)

OTHER NAMES: Red-spotted Purple, White Admiral
Latin Etymology: Limenitis ("of harbours") arthemis ("from Artemis")

Adult Western White Admiral (Limenitis arthemis) in British Columbia, Canada - August 2024

Featured Subspecies: Limentitis arthemis arthemis
Wingspan: 4.7-7.8cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

An usnusual butterfly with two radically distinct forms - the "Northern Group" is a largely black individual with prominant white banding on their wings not entirely dissimilar to the White Admiral found in Europe. However, the Southern population has evolved to mimic the poisonous Pipevine Swallowtail and thus not only looks like an entirely separate species, but also has an entirely different evolutionary method of avoiding predators.

Related Species:
Order: Lepidoptera 
Family: Nymphalidae 
Genus: Limenitis
SUBSPECIES: L. a. arthemis, L. a. rubrofasciata, L. a. astyanax, L. a. arizonensis

 - Sighting Locations -

CANADA -Present everywhere but the High Tundra and West Coast
  - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: - Seen in Alberta, British Columbia and Yukon

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

No comments:

Post a Comment