“Red-spotted Purple”

Yes, that’s the terribly unimaginative name for this butterfly!

Lesson learned on the Coolpix AW110 with this shot: even though (as I recall) the zoom is supposed to be “all-optical,” I can’t necessarily crank the zoom out to its maximum and expect the same resolution as without zoom.

In any case, at least I took the P&S to the boathouse when I returned the shells to their berths today. I figured this would be a swallowtail of some kind, so I went through BAMONA’s Image Gallery — http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/gallery — for the Papilionidae family (parnassians and swallowtails) but didn’t find this.

Not knowing what family to check next, I went through my field guide and found a dead ringer in the Nymphalidae family (brushfoots, the same family as the Monarch!). I wasn’t totally “off” expecting it to be a swallowtail. The Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax) mimics the Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor).

Confirmed at BAMONA as subspecies Limenitis arthemis astyanax or “Red-spotted Purple”; http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/929005

One year ago (“Gray Hairstreak, posing”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2012-09-08
Two years ago (“Concrete Camouflage”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2011-09-08

[Rick Schies]

Thank you Thom. That looks just like the one I posted the other week. Now I know.

[Thom Mitchell]

@digitalrn Looks like it, Rick. You're certainly in its range. Go to the species page at BAMONA, http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Limenitis-arthemis-astyanax
Then *use the scroll bar on the right* and drag it down to the sightings map. This species is everywhere east of the Mississippi in the U.S.!

[Tami Skipper]

What a lovely shot!

[Michelle]

So beautiful. The colours are stunning.

[Vicki Dixon]

I've never seen one of these! so pretty