Limenitidinae: Admirals and Relatives
| Limenitidinae: Admirals and Relatives California Sister Common Mestra Crackers Lorquin's Admiral Mexican Bluewing Butterfly Pictures |
Designation of the subfamily was considered before the advent of either global butterfly observation studies or global butterfly genetic studies.
Its standing in the Brushfooted butterfly family comes under constant criticism for being a name out of step with butterfly reality.
The term is therefore used rather loosely in this butterfly guide, only as a means for organizing a few groups of butterflies into pictorial form.
The most common Limenitidinae species in the United States fall into one one of two genera, Limenitis (mostly Admirals) and Adelpha (mostly sisters).
A few tropical species, the Mexican Bluewing, Common Mestra and Crackers, have a limited United States presence.
Many North American admiral species have a geographically limited range. The Viceroy (Limenitis archippus) bucks the trend and can be found throughout most of the continental United States, with the exception of the coastal areas of the West Coast.
Their large, colorful wings contribute to Limenitidinae popularity. The Red-spotted Purple or White Admiral (Limenitis arthemis), for example, was recently named the official butterfly of New York state.
© 2008. Patricia A. Michaels