California Sister Butterfly

Taxobox
name = California Sister


image_width = 250px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Lepidoptera
familia = Nymphalidae
subfamilia = Nymphalinae
tribus = Nymphalini
genus = "Limenitis"
species = "L. bredowii"
subspecies = "L. bredowii californica"
trinomial = "Limenitis bredowii californicus"

The California Sister ("Limenitis bredowii californica") is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. The butterfly is named for its black and white markings on the forewing that resemble a Nun's habit. It is commonly found on oak trees (on which it lays its eggs) and by water sources where it sips salts from the mud.

Habitat

The California Sister is found in oak woodlands through much of California and western Oregon to extreme southern Washington. Recent phylogenetic evidence suggests that Sisters found from Utah and Colorado south through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and temperate Mexico may be another species, the Arizona Sister.

Distinguishing Features

The California Sister is similar in appearance to the Lorquin's Admiral. However, the California Sister has red spots on its forewings surrounded by black, whereas the Admiral has orange wing tips. It can also be distinguished by the small blue wing shaped patches with red centers on the front of the forewing. Its wingspan ranges from 1 to 3 inches.

Food Sources

Oaks are used as larval hostplants. Adults prefer fruit that has fallen from its source or has been pecked at by birds. They rarely sip nectar from flowers but occasionally use California Buckeye ("Aesculus californica") and Toyon ("Heteromeles arbutifolia") flowers as food sources.

Flight period

This species flies twice a year, from April to June and again from August to September.

imilar Species

*White Admiral ("L. a. rubrofasciata")
*Weidemeyer's Admiral ("L. weidemeyerii")
*Lorquin's Admiral ("L. lorquini")