Limenitis arthemis
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
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 Baltimore on a given day, based on 31 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 170th most-seen of the 705 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and July–September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red-Spotted Admiral in Baltimore on a given day, against under 5% in June and October–April, 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.
Among the best
Of the 16 cities where we can rate Red-Spotted Admiral sightings, Baltimore ranks 7th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Edmonton (Canada, about 10%), Calgary (Canada, about 10%) and San Luis Potosí (México, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red-Spotted Admiral is recorded against all the insects logged in Baltimore (31 verified sightings), 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.
