Stats

Lifespan: A few weeks
Size: Medium
Diet: Herbivore
Activity: Diurnal
Social: Solitary
Biome: Temperate woodland
Range: Western North America
Movement: Flight
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Warning colors
Status: Uncommon

About

A dark brown-and-black butterfly with bold white bands across the wings and a pair of orange eyespots near each hindwing tip, native to oak woodlands of the western United States and Mexico. Its caterpillars feed exclusively on oak leaves and mimic bird droppings to avoid predators.

Life cycle

1.
egg
A tiny ribbed egg laid on the underside of a host-plant leaf, hatching within days.
2.
caterpillar
A voracious caterpillar feeds and molts through several instars, growing rapidly.
3.
chrysalis
A chrysalis hangs sealed and still while the body remodels into a winged adult.
4.
butterfly
A winged adult with full scales and coloration, ready to fly and mate.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Adelpha
Species: Adelpha californica