The red-spotted admiral consists of two subspecies, the red-spotted purple, shown above, and the white admiral, below. For ages these two were considered two
separate species however because they frequently hybridize with each other where their ranges over lap it was determined that they are the same species and in 2001 they were given the common name red-spotted admiral by the North American Butterfly
Association.
The white admiral is usually found in the northern portions of North America (Canada, Alaska and the northern U.S.) where the red spotted purple is usually found more in the eastern United States. They overlap in the northern US and southern Canada from around Minnesota to the East Coast. Both subspecies overwinter in the larval caterpillar form. The c
aterpillar eating mostly leaves of trees such as aspen, oak, birch, willow and others.
The red-spotted admiral consists of two subspecies, the red-spotted purple, shown above, and the white admiral, below. For ages these two were considered two separate species however because they frequently hybridize with each other where their ranges over lap it was determined that they are the same species and in 2001 they were given the common name red-spotted admiral by the North American Butterfly Association.
The white admiral is usually found in the northern portions of North America (Canada, Alaska and the northern U.S.) where the red spotted purple is usually found more in the eastern United States. They overlap in the northern US and southern Canada from around Minnesota to the East Coast. Both subspecies overwinter in the larval caterpillar form. The caterpillar eating mostly leaves of trees such as aspen, oak, birch, willow and others.
