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Photo#200563
White/Weidemeyer's Hybrid Admiral - Limenitis arthemis

White/Weidemeyer's Hybrid Admiral - Limenitis arthemis
Altona, Manitoba, Canada
July 11, 2008
Size: Approximately 2.5 inches
I find it to be missing the bands of white on the hind wing to make it a White Admiral but it is also has a striking resemblance to a Weidemeyer's Admiral if not for the red spots on the hind wing, not to mention that it is approximately 350 miles out of its region. A beautiful specimen despite the unfortunate damage.

Images of this individual: tag all
White/Weidemeyer's Hybrid Admiral - Limenitis arthemis White/Weidemeyer's Hybrid Admiral - Limenitis arthemis Golden Guide Admirals - Limenitis

Moved
Moved from Butterflies.

Thanks
Thanks all. I really appreciate your input.

 
Admirable Admirals
I, too, have an Admiral that is difficult to positively ID. I was told by one expert that it was a White Admiral, but after posting it on this site and getting the comment that it may be a Weidemeyer, I think maybe butterflies are like snowflakes; there are no two exactly alike! Someone commented that mine may be a hybrid. Check it out under Lana Smith.

White admiral
The photo is about a stop underexposed. I imported it into a photo processing program and lightened it to proper exposure. It looks no different from any White admiral I've been seeing in Southern Manitoba this summer.

Larry

Hi Guys
I just wanted to get in on this discussion with my unusual Limenitis specimen: . On the other side of the question is this southwesten specimen with no white median band etc., etc.

Limenitis arthemis
Looks like pure White Admiral to me. I don't see what is missing? The pattern below is a bit obscured here, but L. weidemeyeri is strikingly different from this below. Of course some would argue that they are regional variants of the same species - perhaps.

 
My Resource
The added picture shows my resource for my comment. The Red spots are shown to be on the upper part of the wing whereas the red spots on this butterfly are on the lower part of the wing. The thin white bands seen on the edge of the hind wing are quite prominent in the Golden Guide but are almost non-existent on the butterfly. There are also white spots that the Golden Guide shows are supposed to accent the red spots but those white crescent shaped spots are not on this butterfly. According to the Golden Guide the pattern on the hind wing is closer to the Weidemeyer with exception of the aforementioned red spots. I suppose it could be just a variation of the White Admiral but then my question is at what point is it decided that it is a variation and when is it another species? Consider the difference between the Acadian Hairstreak, the Coral Hairstreak, and the California Hairstreak. Remarkably similar butterflies but they are classified as different species.

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