Species · GBIF taxon 5714313
California Sister
Adelpha californicaAlso known as California Sister Butterfly
California sisters glide gracefully through oak woodlands, flashing their bold orange wingtips and stark white bands to warn predators of their bitter taste. These territorial butterflies spend much of their time high in the canopy of evergreen oaks, where females lay eggs on the leaf tips. They frequently descend to the forest floor to drink from mud puddles, animal dung, or rotting fruit rather than visiting flowers.
Oak-DwellingMimicCanopy-Glider
1 / 7- diet
- Oak sap, rotting fruit, aphid honeydew, and wet soil minerals
- family
- Nymphalidae
- threats
- Wildfire, urban development, and sudden oak death reducing host trees
- life Span
- Up to 10 months
NE
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- Puddle Watching: Look for them on damp dirt roads or riverbanks where they gather to sip essential minerals.
- Oak Canopy Search: Scan the sunny outer branches of oak trees where males perch to defend their territory.
- Fruit Baiting: Attract them to your garden by placing overripe bananas or peaches in a shady, elevated spot.