Limenitis weidemeyerii
Encyclopedia
The Weidemeyer's Admiral (Limenitis weidemeyerii) is a butterfly
from the Nymphalinae
subfamily, in western North America
.
, the northern Great Plains
(an outlying population), and the Western United States
, from the Rocky Mountains westward to the Sierra Nevada and California
. It is named after John William Weidemeyer
, a 19th-century entomologist who discovered it in its former eastern range extension into the Adirondack mountains
.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
from the Nymphalinae
Nymphalinae
Nymphalinae is a subfamily of brush-footed butterflies . Sometimes, the Limenitidinae are included here as further tribe, while the Melitaeini are occasionally considered a distinct subfamily.- Systematics:...
subfamily, in western North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Distribution
Limenitis weidemeyerii is found in western CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the northern Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
(an outlying population), and the Western United States
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
, from the Rocky Mountains westward to the Sierra Nevada and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is named after John William Weidemeyer
John William Weidemeyer
John William Weidemeyer was an author and entomologist.-Biography:In Germany, his father had been an officer in the bodyguards of Jérôme Bonaparte, king of Westphalia. When John was still young, the family moved to New York City. Among his first teachers was Alexander T...
, a 19th-century entomologist who discovered it in its former eastern range extension into the Adirondack mountains
Adirondack Mountains
The Adirondack Mountains are a mountain range located in the northeastern part of New York, that runs through Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Saint Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties....
.
Physical description
The Weidemeyer's Admiral's wings are black and white on the dorsal side, with rows of white spots across the wings. On the ventral side, the black is replaced by brown with grey markings along the margins of the hindwing.Similar species
- White Admiral (two subspecies of Limenitis arthemis)
- Lorquin's AdmiralLorquin's AdmiralThe Lorquin's Admiral is a butterfly from the Nymphalinae subfamily. The butterfly is named after Pierre Joseph Michel Lorquin, a French naturalist who came to California from France during the Gold Rush and made important discoveries on the natural history of the terrain.-Physical description:The...
(Limenitis lorquini)