Insect · GBIF taxon 5132505
Red-spotted Purple
Limenitis astyanaxThe Red-spotted Purple is a dark forest butterfly whose upper wings glow blue-green in angled light and whose undersides carry red-orange spots. It glides along sunny woodland openings and often pauses on damp soil or tree sap.
Iridescent ButterflyForest EdgeMimicry
Licensed reference(c) Jake OFlaherty, some rights reserved (CC BY) / CC BY 4.0 · cc-by
—observations
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Adults take tree sap, moisture, and decaying organic fluids; caterpillars browse willow-family and related host leaves
Predators
- Birds
- Spiders
- Praying mantises
ThreatsForest fragmentation, pesticide use, host-tree removal, road traffic, and drought
HabitatsDeciduous forest, river corridors, woodland roads, pond edges, gardens, and sunny clearings
Life spanAdults live for several weeks; the full life cycle spans a season or overwinters as a larva
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyNymphalidae
- SpeciesLimenitis astyanax
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Observe without netting, baiting, or handling adults because wing scales rub away easily.
Responsible observation
- Light: Watch for blue-green iridescence that changes with viewing angle.
- Underside: Look for red-orange spots when the butterfly folds its wings.
- Behavior: Stand still near damp trail edges rather than chasing a gliding adult.
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