Red-spotted Purple ventral

  • Family name: Nymphalidae/Brush-Footed Butterflies
  • General description: Black; hindwind with iridescent blue scaling along outer margin; ventral hindwing dull brown-black with orange basal spots and a postmedian band of prominent orange spots
  • Field Marks: Black; hindwing with iridescent blue along outer margin; ventral hindwing brown-black with prominent orange spots.

Red-spotted Purple

  • Sexes: Appear similar
  • Wingspan: 75-100 mm
  • Life Cycle: Egg: Green, laid singly on the tip of host leaves Mature larva: Green-brown with white markings, a white saddle and a pair of knobby tubercles off the thorax Chrysalis: Mottled brown and white
  • Number of Generations: Two or three generations

Red-spotted Purple larva

  • Flight Season: All year
  • Abundance: Common
  • Habitat: Deciduous forest margins and openings, woodland trails, utility easements, stream corridors, parks
  • Counties: North and Central Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, De Soto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, Washington
  • Larval Host Plants: Wild Cherry (Prunus serotina), Deerberry (Vaccinius staminiun), Carolina Willow (Salix caroliniana)
  • Similar Species: Pipevine Swallowtail
  • Additional Information: Mimics distasteful Pipevine Swallowtail; adults visit rotting fruit, dung, and sap flows.

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