The Red-Spotted Purple butterfly is black with blue or blue-screen scaling. It has blue iridescent wings with vibrant orange spots on the underside of the wings. At first glance, the Red-Spotted Purple mimics the Pipevine Swallowtail. But it has no tails!

 

“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

 

Red-Spotted Purple Host and Nectar Plants

Host Plants:

• Wild Cherry
• Aspen
• Poplar
• Cottonwood
• Oaks
• Hawthorn
• Deerberry
• Birch
• Willows
• Basswood
• Shadbush

Nectar Plants:

• Tree Sap
• Fermented Fruit
• Nectar from flowers (when tree sap and fermenting fruit are not available)
  • Spiraea
  • Privet
  • Viburnum