White Admiral

The White Admiral (Limenitis arthemis arthemis) is found across northern regions of North America, from Alaska across Canada and into the northern United States. It prefers deciduous and mixed woodlands where its larval host plants, primarily birch, willow, and poplar, are abundant.

Yes, the White Admiral (Limenitis arthemis arthemis) and the Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax) are both subspecies of Limenitis arthemis. The White Admiral has a bold white band across black wings, while the Red-spotted Purple lacks the white band and instead mimics the appearance of the toxic Pipevine Swallowtail as a defensive strategy.

The White Admiral is immediately recognizable by its black wings crossed by a single, broad, contrasting white band that runs from the leading to the trailing edge. The underside is dark with reddish-orange spots near the wing margins, and it has a wingspan of approximately 2.5 to 3.5 inches.

Hybrid zones between the two subspecies occur in areas of the northeastern and midwestern United States where their ranges meet, particularly in states along the Appalachian region. In these overlap zones, individuals with intermediate wing patterns are commonly found, demonstrating interbreeding between the banded White Admiral form and the mimetic Red-spotted Purple form.