Red-spotted Purple

I posted this species earlier this summer, but that shot was taken in Ohio. Now I have this to tag with the butterflies and insects observed at home in southern Illinois.

The earlier post has information on how this species mimics the poisonous Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor).

Today I read more about this species’ names. Stay with me:
This is a Red-spotted Purple and it’s a subspecies of Limenitis arthemis, which species includes the White Admiral, Western White Admiral and this Red-spotted Purple. And of course this Red-spotted Purple has a predominantly blue color. Go figure on taxonomy and names, right?

A humorous bit of information from BugGuide:
“Greek Αστυαναξ- In Homer’s Iliad, this is the title given to Hector’s infant son by the people of Troy. It means ‘master of the city’

“As to the common name, many people wonder why it is a “Purple” instead of a “Blue”, since the color seen on the wings usually looks decidedly more blue (even greenish) than purple. Something to debate about when time needs killed.”

» ID’ed as Limenitis arthemis astyanax or “Red-spotted Purple”: [ BAMONA ] [ BugGuide ] [ iNaturalist ]
» Species pages: [ BAMONA ] [ BugGuide ] [ iNaturalist ] [ UK Butterflies ]

[ PXL_20240915_210548123_LE15tm :: cell phone ]

September 15 posts
       “Extras”: “Yeeaah. Another moth. It’s KV’s fault!”
  1 year ago: No post
 2 years ago: “Eastern Tailed-blue (on Black-eyed Susan)”
 3 years ago: “‘99 Bicycles’ [No need to comment]”
 4 years ago: “Tonya”
 5 years ago: “Two days in a ‘row’”
 6 years ago: “Ohio Statehouse Rotunda”
 7 years ago: “Travel day: Back to SeaTac”
 8 years ago: “Through the kitchen window”
 9 years ago: “Frisco”
10 years ago: “Gray Hairstreak”
11 years ago: “Celebrating a former pastor…”
12 years ago: “A-one, an-a-two…”
13 years ago: “‘Cool’ shadows?”