The Butterflies of the World Foundation

A Non-Profit Organization

Red-spotted Purple

Limenitis arthemis astyanax, Fabricius, 1775

Subfamily Limenitidinae

Taxonomy

The family Nymphalidae is the largest butterfly family and includes about 6,000 species which are further divided up into 12 subfamilies.  The common name for the family is the Brushfoots or Brushfooted Butterflies.  This strange name is because the first pair of legs are significantly reduced, sometimes to mere stubs, and look like little brushes.  Some of the most common and well known species are in this group such as the Monarch, Red Admiral, Blue Morpho and Painted Lady.  Some of the longest lived butterflies are in this family with some species living over 10 months as adults.  The Brushfoots are distributed worldwide, with the highest diversity found in the tropics.  With this variety, there is also quite a difference in behavior, adult food choices and habitat preference from species to species.

All photographs, artwork, text and website design are the property of The Butterflies of the World Foundation (unless otherwise stated) and are protected under national and international copyright laws.  Photographs, artwork or text on this website may not be reproduced in any way without prior written consent of The Butterflies of the World Foundation.

Limenitis arthemis astyanax, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 2 September 2008                                                        Ref #:  I-402-10.1

Limenitis arthemis astyanax, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 16 May 2010                                                                 Ref #:  I-437-16

Limenitis arthemis astyanax, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 16 May 2010                                                                 Ref #:  I-437-15

Limenitis arthemis astyanax, ovipositing on Black Willow, Salix nigra, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 30 September 2008        Ref #:  I-406-6

Limenitis arthemis astyanax, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 13 May 2007                                                               Ref #:  I-373-18.3

Limenitis arthemis astyanax, near Olsen Wetland, Ransom County, North Dakota, 29 June 2003                                                                                        Ref #:  I-186-13.2

Black Willow, Salix nigra, a common larval food plant, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma                                                                      N-13-7.2

Black Willow, Salix nigra, a common larval food plant, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma                                                                      N-13-9.2

Black Willow, Salix nigra, a common larval food plant, Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Cleveland County, Oklahoma                                                                     N-13-12.3

General Information:

Limenitis arthemis astyanax belongs to the subfamily Limenitidinae.  The Red-spotted Purple is the same species as the White Admiral. The species range is from Alaska and subarctic Canada southeast of the Rocky Mountains to central Texas then east to New England and central Florida. Isolated populations are found in Arizona, New Mexico and west Texas south into Mexico. The White Admiral form usually occurs north of a line through north central New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Minnesota. The Red-spotted Purple form mimics the poisonous Pipevine Swallowtail and is usually found south of this line. There is a blend zone where these two forms meet where the butterflies have both traits, in various degrees, of each subspecies.  Because of the extreme difference in the two forms, they are treated separately on this website.

Lifecycle:

The larval food sources includes the leaves of many trees and shrubs including wild cherry,  Prunus sp., aspen, poplar and cottonwood, Populus sp., oaks, Quercus sp., hawthorn, Crataegus sp., deerberry, Vaccinium stamineum, birch, Betula sp., willow, Salix sp., basswood, Tilia sp., and juneberry, Amelanchier sp.  Males perch on trees and tall bushes and rarely patrol for females. Eggs are laid singly on tips of host plant leaves and caterpillars eat the leaves. Third instar caterpillars hibernate.