Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax)
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Seen only occasionally in the Hartman Prehistoric Garden, the Red-spotted Purple is a highly iridescent medium-sized butterfly. This species has been the cause of considerable confusion in its classification. It is now generally agreed that the white admiral of the northern U.S. and the red-spotted purple of the south and east are both subspecies, since they frequently interbreed where their ranges overlap.
The larvae have a mottled look that serves as "bird dropping" camouflage, making them less noticeable to predators. The caterpillars also have two horn-like projections behind their head. The individual pictured below is a very young larva. It will lose the tail projections and the "horns" will become longer as it ages.
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class: Insecta / order: Lepidoptera / family: Nymphalidae / genus: Limenitis / species: arthemis / subspecies: astyanax
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