A few butterfly species have made there appearance in our yard this past week. One of them is the Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis). It is a Brush-footed butterfly (Family Nymphalidae) that is native to 
Above, the Red-spotted Purple is mainly a black butterfly with iridescent blue, but is gets its name from the red spots on its underwing.
This species is one of the butterflies that gains protection from mimicking the Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor). In spite of the lack of "tails" its coloration is similar enough that it is considered a mimic. Predators tend to avoid eating the Pipevine Swallowtail due to it being poisonous. Pipevine caterpillars eat plants in the pipevine family and plants in the pipevine family have chemicals in them which are poisonous to most animals. Caterpillars are able to eat them without being harmed. In fact, the chemicals stay inside the caterpillars and make them poisonous to most predators. While the Red-spotted Purple is not poisonous, predators think it is due to its coloration.
The Red-spotted Purple butterfly is often found in forest edges and openings, roadsides, and trails through wooded areas. You can often see them taking nutrients from gravel roads, roadsides, scat, and even carrion.
It has two broods, one in late May and another in late July. Its larvae feed on several types of trees (host plants) including willow, apple, and cherry. The female will lay her eggs on the trees leaves, one egg at the tip of a leaf. When the caterpillar hatches, it then eats the leaves. When winter arrives, caterpillars go into hibernation. In spring they complete metamorphosis and become adult butterflies.
You can attract these butterflies to your yard by making their host plants available and by putting out a butterfly feeder (more on that in the next posting!).
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