Tom's are the only R-S P images we have from Mass. Do we know if they might be White Admirals??

The main point, of course, is that they are not Viceroys. Tom labelled them as R-S P's so I stuck them there. They could be either.
Is the absence of images of adults from Mass relevant? I don't think so. How come, you say? Well, I say, if you accept that , photographed in NH is an intergrade it seems likely that R-S P's occur in NH. If they occur in NH, they probably do occur further south in Mass.

The pure form White Admiral does occur in Mass. but only in the higher elevations of western Mass.
Where I am, it's R.S.P. and intergrades. I'll post a few more adults from Mass. showing different intergrade patterns, and a White Admiral from the westernmost part of the state, on Mt, Graylock, the highest peak in the state.

I've always thought that the intergrades were the result of a cross mating between a W A and a R-S P; i.e., a male of one form and a female of the other. Why else would some books refer to them as hybrids? But, if you don't get W A where you live then it is unlikely (impossible?) that the R-S P's can mate with W A's. So where do the intergrades come from? The only alternative that I can see is that the colour form is a result of the environment. I wonder whether there is any research on colour forms of Limenitis arthemis. Seems as though this could be easily tested, surely someone must have published on this.

The White Admirals start being seen about 40 miles west, and north of where I am. Possibilities I see are, hybrids are flying in from the fringes of the W A territory, or could the hybrids be breeding?
Color forms might be possible, but hybrids are more likely, since most show aspects of both W A and R S P patterns.

all my butterfly books and only Scott "Butterflies of NA" made a comment about intergrades apart from the fact they exist. On page 261 he names 3 authors and others that have "proved without doubt that ssp. arthemis and astyanax are the same species. Hybrids between them are healthy and fertile" (my emphasis). So maybe you have a self-reproducing population of hybrids.

states that "genetic evidence suggests that they (arthemis and astyanax)have come together relatively recently", but he gives no authority for that statement. Opler in Butterflies East of the Great Plains says "Formerly considered to be two species ... (they) are known to hybridize freely in a belt extending from southern New England across the Great Lakes states. They are now considered a single species. ... The two geographic forms are so disparate in appearance that, despite the genetic evidence, it is still difficult to accept the fact that they are the same species. ... The White Admiral form generally inhabits Canadian Life Zone areas (north of the hybrid belt identified above). It is most often found in northern deciduous or mixed woods dominated by birch or aspen, while the Red-Spotted Purple form is found in a variety of young to mature deciduous or mixed-deciduous-evergreen woodlands." Were they once one species that separated temporarily for some reason and diverged only to meld back together again at some later time? The truth of their stories would be a fascinating read.

that the hybrids can reproduce. I wasn't sure, because I've heard that there are lots of other hybrid species that are sterile. Mystery solved, thanks to your research.

the caterpillars on the Limenitis page here to see what we could do with this new information. Think we got most of them but would appreciate comments from the two of you on them before we move anything. Struggled with a couple though. Seems that we can generate some more closeups from those if they would be helpful.