- Limenitis camilla
:"This article is on the old world species; for information on the North American White Admiral, see
Limenitis arthemis ."Taxobox
name = White Admiral
image_width = 250px
regnum =Animal ia
phylum =Arthropod a
classis =Insect a
ordo =Lepidoptera
superfamilia =Papilionoidea
familia =Nymphalidae
genus = "Limenitis "
species = "L. camilla"
binomial = "Limenitis camilla"
binomial_authority = (Linnaeus, 1764)The (Eurasian) White Admiral ("see alsoLimenitis arthemis "), "Limenitis camilla", is abutterfly of theNymphalidae family. They are found in woodland throughout southern Britain and much ofEurope andAsia , extending as far east asJapan .Adult white admirals have black wings with white bands. The contrasting colours help to break up the outline of the wing, camouflaging it from predators. They have a wing span of approximately 60-65 mm and have a distinctive, elegant flight comprising of short periods of wing beats, followed by long glides.
The white admiral feeds on
bramble blossom and honeydew and the female will lay its eggs singly on wisps ofhoneysuckle growing in dense woodland. Thecaterpillar s are green with red-brown hairs and are camouflaged on a leaf, by a mixture of their own dropping and silk. As autumn approaches it will form a tent-like structure made of leaf tissue known as ahibernaculum which it then secures to the stem with silk before hibernating. The caterpillar will then awaken the following spring and after a brief spell of feeding will moult, revealing a spiny green skin. It will then pupate during the summer, forming a green and gold chrysalis. After approximately two weeks the adult will emerge.
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