Limenitis arthemis
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Limenitis arthemis, the red-spotted purple or white admiral, is a North American butterfly species in the cosmopolitan genus Limenitis. It has been studied for its evolution of mimicry, and for the several stable hybrid wing patterns within this nominal species; it is one of the most dramatic examples of hybridization between non-mimetic and mimetic populations.
L. arthemis can be split into two major groups, mainly based on one physical characteristic: the presence of a white band along the wings. Individuals of the northern group, called white admirals, have a conspicuous white band that traverses both the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the wing, while those of the southern group, called red-spotted purples, lack that trait as they have evolved to mimic the poisonous pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor). Due to overlap in distribution among the two major groups, intermediates are numerous as hybridization occurs frequently.
Limenitis (Neo-Latin "of harbours", from Ancient Greek Λιμενιτις (from λιμήν, a harbour, haven) – an epithet of Artemis, goddess of the hunt and the wild) – arthemis, from Artemis. Limenitis arthemis is a butterfly... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nahanni National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Voyageurs National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Elk Island National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Isle Royale National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Wood Buffalo National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Riding Mountain National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Kluane National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Jasper National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 12 | Denali National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Banff National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 14 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 16 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 17 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 18 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 19 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 20 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 21 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | San Luis Potosí | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Anchorage | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red-Spotted Admiral sighting in Banff National Park on a given day, based on 33 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 23rd most-seen of the 105 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Red-Spotted Admiral in Banff National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to May, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red-Spotted Admiral sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
13th of 21
Of the 21 parks where we can rate Red-Spotted Admiral sightings, Banff National Park ranks 13th at about 10%. The best odds are in Nahanni National Park (Canada, about 60%), Voyageurs National Park (United States, about 50%) and Elk Island National Park (Canada, about 40%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Nymphalidae
The closest relatives of the Red-Spotted Admiral that you can see in Banff National Park (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Pearl Crescent (about 30%), Milbert's Tortoiseshell (about 20%) and Mourning Cloak (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red-Spotted Admiral is recorded against all the insects logged in Banff National Park (33 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
