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Limenitis arthemis astyanax
Black body. Black wings with white dots with blue & orange markings.
Found on a rotten apple under an apple tree in my yard in Northern Virginia.
I thought this was some sort of swallowtail, but it doesn't have the long "tails" on the bottom of its wings.
Awesome! Thanks ForestDragon! I'm so glad to finally know the name of the beautiful butterflies that have been flying around my yard for years. They are a joy to watch!
Hi Pam, great spotting! The Red-spotted Purple is a Pipevine Swallowtail mimic, so it isn't surprising that you thought what you did initially! Your acute observations helped you to see through the disguise :).