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Species of butterfly

Limenitis arthemis, the red spotted purple or white admiral, is a North American butterfly species in the cosmopolitan genus Limenitis. It has been studied for its evolution of mimicry, and for the several stable hybrid wing patterns within this nominal species; it is one of the most dramatic examples of hybridization between non mimetic and mimetic populations. L. arthemis can be split into two major groups, mainly based on one physical characteristic: the presence of a white band along the wings. Individuals of the northern group, called white admirals, have a conspicuous white band that traverses both the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the wing, while those of the southern group, called red spotted purples, lack that trait as they have evolved to mimic the poisonous pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor). Due to overlap in distribution among the two major groups, intermediates are numerous as hybridization occurs frequently.

Limenitis arthemis is a butterfly species in the tribe Limenitidini of the family Nymphalidae. The Limenitidini are a tribe of the better known "brush footed butterflies", as they are known to perch on hindlegs, whereas the other two forelegs are positioned curled up. These two forelegs often have brush like hairs, which is a key identifier of the Nymphalidae. The Limenitidini consist of 25 species grouped primarily by region. The Basilarchia species group, spread in North America, includes the American white admiral species, L. arthemis, as well as L. archippus, L. lorquini, and L. weidemeyerii.

Limenitis arthemis is described to be beautiful and highly active. The butterfly species themselves can be divided into two major groups simply from one main characteristic, the white band on the upper wings. However, besides the look of the butterfly, L. arthemis are in constant motion. Their flights are short in duration and at low altitudes, flying only about 2 to 3 feet off the ground. When not in flight, L. arthemis are constantly walking over leaves and folding their wings. They enjoy the sun as many are found to be resting at the highest points on trees. During the short period they are at rest, L. arthemis keep their wings closed, body at a 45 degree angle upwards, and antennae straight forward. The upperside of L. a. arthemis is mostly blackish blue with white postmedian bands across both wings. Some individuals have a row of red submarginal spots, while others have this area being blue. The underside of the wings is a blackish color with a broad white post median band. The basal area of both wings contains many red spots. The submarginal area may contain a row of red spots and the marginal area having bluish spots. However, sometimes the submarginal and marginal areas are just a reddish brown color. The upperside of L. a. astyanax is very much like L. a. arthemis except it lacks the broad white bands. The forewing submarginal area will sometimes have a row of red spots. The hindwings are either a bright iridescent blue or an iridescent bluish green. The underside of the wings lacks the white band. The basal area has several red spots. It has a row of red submarginal spots and bluish marginal spots. the hybridization region is the overlapped region of New England and southern Great Lakes. These butterflies spend their days in deciduous woodlands, along the edges of the forest in shady areas, including roadsides.

When males are searching for mates, they generally try to defend areas that have high female visitation rates, regardless of the amount of resources. Male L. arthemis are known to be very aggressive when it comes down to defending an area bountiful of female mates. Male residents perch under the sun until another male comes into the vicinity; these engagements generally last approximately 1–5 minutes. Once conflicts comes to an end, males periodically patrol their territory for other outsiders tempted to take over the territory. Males also have high fidelity to the territory they are defending.

Caterpillars of the hybrid region generally feed on tree species in the plant family Salicaceae, including aspen, poplar, and willow trees. Those of the northern region generally feed extensively on yellow birch trees, including Betula aleghaniensis and Betula lenta. Southern caterpillars feed on black cherry (Prunus serotina) and other members of the Rosaceae family.

Limenitis arthemis have two broods lasting from April to October. Most of the first brood feed and grow until the caterpillar is half grown. Then they form a hibernaculum and hibernate for the winter until the start of spring. However, some larvae are able to mature during the summer, so they emerge as the second brood early fall. The second brood also mate and lay eggs, but often these larvae are not yet mature enough to undergo hibernation. Ultimately, this could mean death for the larvae. Life as an adult lasts approximately 6 14 days.

Vision is a dynamic and integral part of an organism. For the L. arthemis it is crucial in order to find food, avoid predators, and engage in social signaling i. e. mating behaviors. Butterfly vision is diverse and unique amongst individual species. This is due to their remarkable range of photoreceptor classes, each with distinct spectral sensitivities. This diversity results not only from the different spectral properties, but also from the alternations in the number and spatial distribution of visual pigments. Vision is a collaborative process between the components of the visual pigment: the opsin protein and the chromophore. The opsin gene encodes opsin proteins, which binds to the chromophore to form a visual pigment. These visual pigments are modulated by specific amino acids which determines the absorbance spectra that allows for animals to detect particular wavelengths of light. In L. arthemis, it has been shown in a study that the diversification of opsins have altered on a longitudinal cline along with natural selection due to environmental factors, unrelated to spectral tuning.

This type of mimicry between species of the Limenitis arthemis is a prime example of convergent evolution, in which similar traits are developed among species in common niches or environment. Butterfly wing pattern is a trait often subjected to mimicry among species of different lineages because despite its diversity, the patterns are developed based upon a strict blueprint laid by preceding ground plans that were conserved throughout evolution. Though the exact mechanism by which the wing patterning developed remains unclear, there is evidence of genes associated with the eyespot patterning development. Yet, two conflicting ideas have been proposed to explain the mechanism involved: conserved homology or recent variability. The red spotted purple butterfly, also known as the subspecies L. arthemis astyanax, is a well known Batesian mimic. Another study ruled out a major hypothesis stating that the reappearance of the non mimic form was due to the evolutionary loss of mimicry and a reversion to the ancestral phenotype. the WntA pathway is a crucial part of the early development of embryos and therefore highly conserved between species; thus making it the most likely candidate responsible for the evolution of mimicry in L. arthemis. According to one study, these hybrid zones were of secondary origin, meaning that both the white admiral and the red spotted purple are already genetically distinct and the two diverged lineages reconnect at this hybrid area.

When males are searching for female mates, they tend to seek territories with plentiful visits from females. Mate locating behaviors for males tended to start in the afternoon, between 11 am and 4 pm. Most males perched as a sign of defense of the territory. Males tend not to favor perching on host trees, but rather on various kinds of foliage like maple, elm trees, or raspberry bushes, generally about 1–2 meters off the ground. This particular mating behavior seems ironic because males should want to perch on host trees as females tend to seek mates in areas where resources like food or host trees are bountiful. Therefore, many times, males are defending areas that do not attract the most females. These fights are significant due to the ability of female butterflies to "double mate" which introduce the idea of sperm precedence and competition to reproduce between males. A study showed that within female butterflies that "double mate" a small percent of the progeny resulted from the mixing of sperm, which illustrate the individual fitness of the male. Therefore, there is an incentive for males to claim their mate prior to other males, which can also affect male mate seeking strategies as well. Generally, the fights engaged by L. arthemis are aerial maneuvers which are initiated once a nonresident male files into his peripheral vision. After which a series of flight patterns such as circling flights, vertical and/or horizontal chases, and hovering flights ensue. It is established that the "competition" component of the fight is the circling flight, often followed by the horizontal chase in which the 'loser' is chased from the disputed territory. Territorial fights are not limited to mating, but it is a method to optimize their mate seeking behavior.

The white admiral is the official state butterfly of New York. Limenitis arthemis arthemis is also considered by some to be the unofficial insect emblem of Quebec.