The Red Spotted Purple butterfly is a striking species with black wings overlaid by shimmering blue or blue-green scaling. When viewed in sunlight, the wings exhibit a brilliant iridescent blue sheen that seems to shift with movement. The undersides contrast sharply, featuring bold red-orange spots that give the butterfly its name. This species is a clever mimic of the toxic Pipevine Swallowtail, but unlike its model, the Red Spotted Purple lacks the characteristic tails on its hindwings.

 

“Red-Spotted Purple” by Tommy P World, licensed under (CC BY-NC 2.0)

 

Red-Spotted Purple Facts

Butterfly Family: Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Nymphalinae

Butterfly Wingspan: 2 1/4 – 4 inches

Butterfly Habitat: Deciduous or mixed forests, moist uplands, valley bottoms, and coastal plains

 

🪴 Host Plants

These are the plants where females lay eggs and caterpillars feed:

• Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)

• Common Deerberry (Vaccinium stamineum)

• Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)

• Oaks (Quercus spp.)

• Willows (Salix spp.)

 

🌸 feeding behavior

Adult Red-Spotted Purple butterflies primarily feed on:

• Carrion

• Dung

• Rotting fruit

• Sap flows

Their preference for sap, rotting fruit, and dung is due to their shaded woodland habitats, where flowers are less abundant.