Species Nymphalis vau-album - Compton Tortoiseshell

The name Nymphalis l-album has not been generally accepted in North America, but the name N. "vau-album" will probably be thrown out in the near future as invalidly published. The name l-album will replace it. Both names were described from European specimens.

North American populations are called subspecies is j-album; the nominate subpecies occurs in Eurasia

The common name was coined in the mid-1800s by Philip Henry Gosse, an English naturalist who studied the life history of this species while living in the town of Compton, Quebec.

wingspan 52-70 mm in Canada (CBIF); 64-78 mm in United States (nearctica.com)

Adult: upperside orangish-brown with large black spots and dark brown wing bases; thin submarginal dark band with golden spots along inner edge; leading edge of each wing has single white spot; underside mottled or marbled gray and brown, with dark bases and borders; hindwing underside has small white V near center, representing the comma mark of the anglewings

Larva: body speckled and spotted white on pale green, yellow and brown, or blackish, with several rows of branched, usually black spines on abdomen; head also bears many short spines, with one pair larger and branched near the tip.

southeastern Alaska and across Canada south of the tundra, south in the west to Montana and Wyoming, south in the east to North Carolina and Missouri

known to wander; has been recorded as far south as California and Florida, and as far north as Baker Lake, north of treeline in Nunavut

deciduous and coniferous forests; often associated with "cottage country" in the north, overwintering in tree cavities, under eaves, or in garages, outhouses, and cottages

adults fly from July to November before hibernating, and appear again in May and June to lay eggs

larvae feed in groups on willow (Salix spp.), birch (Betula spp.), and poplar (Populus spp.)

adults feed on sap, rotting fruit, and nectar of willow flowers

eggs are laid in clumps on the hostplant; one generation per year; overwinters as an adult, sometimes in groups

California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica) is smaller and lacks white mark on underside of hindwing

pinned adult image plus adult description, biology, flight season, larval and adult food, habitat, US distribution map (nearctica.com)

live adult images by G.O. Krizek, plus the same text and map as the nearctica.com site above (butterfliesandmoths.org)

pinned adult image plus description of adult and larva, subspecies, distribution, similar species, larval foodplants, flight season, habitat, remarks (Butterflies of Canada, CBIF)