Photo courtesy of THE BUTTERFLY ZONE

Although I have never seen an adult of this species on Prince Edward Island, they are quite common in New Jersey. I don't remember seeing purples nectaring at flowers, but the adults frequently visit mud puddles.

Photo courtesy of Mark Lasko.

Larvae emerge from tiny eggs laid singly on foodplants (wild cherry), and adults fly in mid summer. It is interesting to me, primarily a moth breeder, that these tiny larvae overwinter in a cocoon like hibernaculum which usually remains affixed to the tree all winter.

Photo courtesy of Mark Lasko.

With their white abdominal saddles, green or brown larvae mimic bird droppings in later instars. In southern portions of their range there are three generations while in more northern latitudes there are two generations/year. Chrysalids are attached to branches and hang vertically, anterior side down. Besides cherry, larvae also feed on elms, oaks, poplars, and willows.

Photos courtesy of John H. Campbell.

GO TO:

Danaus plexippus migrant stray Limenitis archippus Limenitis arthemis arthemis.................... Nymphalis antipoa Nymphalis milberti Papilio polyxenes asterius Papilio canadensis Pieris rapae Polygonia interrogationis Polygonia satyrus Vanessa atalanta Vanessa cardui migrant stray Vanessa virginiensis migrant stray

Monarch Viceroy White admiral Mourning cloak Milbert's tortoise shell Black swallowtail Canadian Tiger swallowtail Cabbage white Question mark Satyr comma Red admiral Painted lady American painted lady

Google is one of my favourite Search Engines and seems to offer the most extensive listing of butterfly sites. Use your back arrow to return to this site after using the Google search box to the left.

To use Google most effectively, type in either the complete Latin name for the butterfly or the complete common name followed by the word butterfly. If I wanted additional information about the red admiral, I would type in "Vanessa atalanta" or "red admiral butterfly" and then click on the Google Go button to the left.

Here are some additonal northeastern North American butterflies of interest. To my knowledge, these species do not fly on Prince Edward Island, but I have reared most of them as a boy growing up in rural New Jersey.

Battus philenor Junonia coenia Limenitis arthemis astanax..................... Papilio cresphontes Papilio glaucus Papilio troilus

Pipevine swallowtail Buckeye Red-spotted purple Giant swallowtail Eastern Tiger swallowtail Spicebush swallowtail

Visit other websites maintained by Bill Oehlke:

ARCTIIDAE (TIGER MOTHS)
SATURNIIDAE (SILK MOTHS) OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND: rearing info.
SPHINGIDAE OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND (HAWK MOTHS)
SPHINGIDAE OF THE AMERICAS
KIRBY WOLFE COLLECTION OF WORLDWIDE SATURNIIDAE
THIBAUD DECAENS COLLECTION OF WORLDWIDE SATURNIIDAE
TIM DYSON NIGHT VISION PHOTOGRAPHY (Catocala)
NORTH AMERICAN CATOCALA

+++LIVESTOCK AND SUPPLIES FOR SALE***
This site is designed and maintained by Bill Oehlke. You can reach Bill for questions by clicking on his name (email) or by phone 902-838-3455, or at Bill Oehlke, Box 476, Montague, P.E.I., Canada C0A 1R0.

I offer two membership sites that far exceed the coverage offered on the sites listed above:

THE WORLD'S LARGEST SATURNIIDAE SITE and
CATERPILLARS TOO!

If you have enjoyed the pictures and information on this site, please click on the flashing butterfly icon to the right. This helps to promote this page so that others are more likely to see it. You will also be taken to a list of over one hundred other sites, featuring butterflies, moths or other insects. To return here, just close the new window that opens. Thankyou!