North American Butterflies and Moths List

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Butterflies of North America

Butterflies of Colorado

'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax (incl. arizonensis))
JPG -- species photo


Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax and L. arthemis arizonensis)

These two subspecies of Limentis arthemis lack the prominent white bands on both wings. The range of these two subspecies is shown because these look so different from the white-banded form. The fact that both forms interbreed over a broad zone and produce fertile offspring is why they are treated under the single species (see page for Limentis arthemis).

State and Regional References:

Brown, F.M., Eff, J.D., and B. Rotger. 1957. Colorado Butterflies. Denver 
     Museum of Natural History, Denver.

Ferris, C.D. and F.M. Brown. 1980. Butterflies of the Rocky Mountain States. 
     University of Oklahoma Press. Norman.

Layberry, R.A., Hall, P.W. & Lafontaine, D.J., 1998.  The Butterflies of 
     Canada.  University of Toronto Press, Toronto, ON.  280 pp. 

Opler, Paul A. 1999. Peterson Field Guide to Western Butterflies, revised 
     edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.

Stanford, R.E. and P.A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of Western USA Butterflies. 
     Privately published, Denver, Colo.

Tilden, J.W. and A.C. Smith. 1986. A Field Guide to Western Butterflies. 
     Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.
'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax (incl. arizonensis))
distribution map
map legend

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