Red Spotted Purple butterfly

Description:

From http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/bfly... The wing spread of adults is 3.0 to 3.5 inches (Daniels 2003). The upper surface of the front wings are black with thin marginal white dashes and submarginal, rows of oblong white and orange spots. The upper surfaces of the hind wings are black with iridescent blue patches and spots on the distal half. The undersides of the wings are brownish black with iridescent blue areas and with large orange basal spots, a row of bright orange spots, and two rows of curved iridescent blue dashes near the margins of the wings. The undersides of both wings have a row of curved marginal white dashes.

Habitat:

I found this one in Silver River State Park, along the Sinkhole trail.

Notes:

It was quite "floppy" and weak, and the body was puffy, which leads me to believe it had just emerged from its chrysalis. I took it out of the middle of the trail and placed it in the bushes where it would be able to dry safely. This species is believed to be a mimic of the poisonous pipevine swallowtail.