Tag: Red-spotted Purple

Both Sides Of A Butterfly

A Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis). This is the ventral side of this butterfly. Wings up and closed. You are seeing the bottom side of its wings.

And this is the dorsal side of a Red-spotted Purple. The top side. As in this species of butterfly, butterflies often have very different looks, dorsal and ventral sides.

The dorsal side of a butterflies’ wings are often used in sexual signaling and for luring mates.

The ventral side of a butterflies’ wings are often used for camouflage to avoid predators.

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To Each His Own

Butterflies on the road going up the mountain. The one on the left a Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis), the one on the right a Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele).

Both these butterflies love to hang out at mud puddles, rotting fruit, and in this case, on scat. All are a source of nutrients for the winged creatures. To each his own!

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Not Red-spotted but Orange-spotted

Such a bewitching butterfly, but aren’t they all! Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis). Not the most beautiful of diets though. Tree sap, rotting fruit, dung, carrion and on occasion, nectar. And what about those spots? Obviously not named by a student of color.

Found in the eastern United States, from the Gulf Coast to southern Canada. So glad it’s in my neck of the woods.

Red-spotted Purple

Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis). With a wingspan of three to three and a half inches. Looking quite handsome with its iridescent blue with tiny orange spots on the dorsal (top) side of its wings. At this point I have to mention that this butterfly is on Butterfly Bush. BUT this plant is NOT in any of my gardens. As an invasive it will take over places where native plants could be growing and benefitting our natural world.

It’s the great impersonator. The Red-spotted Purple butterfly mimics the Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly. And not stopping at that, the larvae quite convincingly mimics bird droppings.

Preferred host plants of the Red-spotted Purple are a wide variety of trees and shrubs including birches, aspens, wild cherries and many species of the willow family. The adults feed on an occasional flower, as well as damp soil and puddles, carrion, dung and rotting fruit. One of those butterflies.