Limenitis arthemis astyanax Fabricius
- Color:
- The body of L. arthemis astyanax is black. All four wings are a dark blue-green color with bands of white and light blue markings located at the edges of each (in direct sunlight, purple can be observed on all wing surfaces). On the ventral side are characteristic red markings (Klots, 1979, 116).
- Size:
- The Red Spotted Purple is 3.1-3.5 inches in width (Klots, 1979, 116), and 3.3-3.6 inches in height.
- Food:
- The caterpillar feeds on Willow, Poplar, Wild Cherry, Plum, Scrub Oak, and Apple trees (Klots, 1979, 116).
- Geographic Range:
- The butterfly can be found from central New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, west to Nebraska, and south to Florida and Texas (Klots, 1979, 116).
Return to Butterfly Species List
Return to Departmental Home Pages
Return to Biology Department Home Page