What a treat to find it nectaring in our gardens considering it prefers bird do-do and rotting fruit over flowers! I just purchased a butterfly feeder and put some peach slices on top...hopefully we'll see more here along with some other butterflies that prefer rotting fruit :)
I wonder why this is called a red spotted purple?????
Here's another view...showing it's red spots...
OK, but the purple?
Flicker,
You ask me as if I named the butterfly! Good Grief!
Why is a Monarch called a Monarch? Or an elephant called an elephant?
All I did was google and came up with this link which says:
"Named for its iridescent blue wings adorned with brilliant orange-red markings, the red-spotted purple is one of the most attractive North American butterflies..."
See for yourself...
http://www.floridata.com/tracks/butterfly/red_spot.cfm
Sorry Susan, I know you didn't name the red spotted purple. But I have always wondered about the colors--especially purple. I have raised several different kinds of butts but have never found a caterpillar for this kind . We have lots of red sp pur in our garden. Black cherry trees are common around here, so I suppose this is the host.
Thanks for the nice handy site. Do you know the host plant in your area?
A variety of black cherry tree is what they like here! The little cat starts eating the leaves right at the tip, leaving the main leaf stem, and then it keeps eating moving away from the tip. There is always a little cluster of uneaten leaf stuff wadded up and usually hanging down. That is how I spot them. It's unusual to spot an egg...I've only seen the cats, strangely enough. I haven't found any this year, I assume that's because of this really long drought.
