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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies and Skippers (Papilionoidea) » Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae) » Admirals, Sisters (Limenitidinae) » Admirals, Sisters and Sailors (Limenitidini) » Sisters (Adelpha)

Genus Adelpha - Sisters

Butterfly from Saratoga, CA - Adelpha californica butterfly - Adelpha californica - female California Sister - Adelpha californica Adelpha californica - male Adelpha californica Adelpha californica - Adelpha eulalia Arizona Sister - Adelpha eulalia Adelpha californica
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Papilionoidea (Butterflies and Skippers)
Family Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Subfamily Limenitidinae (Admirals, Sisters)
Tribe Limenitidini (Admirals, Sisters and Sailors)
Genus Adelpha (Sisters)
Explanation of Names
From Greek adelphos (αδελφος)- "brother, son of the same mother" with the masculine ending -os changed to a feminine ending -a

The common name could be interpreted as a translation of the scientific name, but is usually said to refer to a nun, whose traditional clothing/habit is dark with white like the predominate colors of these butterflies.
Numbers
At least 20 species are known from Mexico. Only three have been recorded from the US, two of them only in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in southern Texas.
See Also
The Silver Emperor (Doxocopa laure) and Pavon Emperor (D. pavon) strongly resemble members of this genus, though they actually belong to a separate subfamily (Apaturinae)!

Lorquin's Admiral is also very similar.
Print References
Wauer, Roliand H. "Butterflies of the Lower Rio Grande Valley" Boulder CO: Johnson Books, 2004.
Contributed by Joel Kits on 24 March, 2005 - 9:39am
Additional contributions by Joshua Stuart Rose, Chuck Entz
Last updated 26 July, 2009 - 9:25pm

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