White Admiral

Description:

is a polytypic species of North American brush-footed butterfly, common throughout much of the eastern United States. They have a large white band traversing both the forewings and hindwings. Both sexes of this species are identical except that the females are slightly larger than the males.The upper side is mostly blackish-blue with white postmedian bands across both wings. Some individuals have a row of red submarginal spots, while others have this area being blue. The underside of the wings is a blackish color with a broad white postmedian band. The basal area of both wings contains many red spots. The submarginal area may contain a row of red spots and the marginal area having bluish spots. However, sometimes the submarginal and marginal areas are just a reddish-brown color.

Habitat:

Preferred host plants: birches, including Betula lenta; Salicaceae, including Salix bebbiana and Populus tremuloides, and Prunus virginiana (Rosaceae).

Notes:

These admirals were EVERYWHERE in the Northern Bruce Peninsula. Unfortunately, the best photo-ops were missed (or out of focus) and I had to settle for these far away shots.