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By Ilona Loser (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
Picture

red spotted purple

Plimenitis arthemis

Identification:
 Wingspan 2 1/4 - 4 inches.  Upperside is blue to blue-green with much iridescence on the outer part of the hindwing. Underside is dark brown. Forewing has 2 red-orange bars near the base of the leading edge; hindwing has 3 red-orange spots near the base and a submarginal row of red-orange spots. The two forms hybridize where their ranges overlap, creating various intermediate forms which may be found in or near the overlap zone.

Habitat:
 Usually found in deciduous or mixed forests, moist uplands, valley bottoms, and coastal plains.

Garden Habit:  
Males perch 3 feet or more above the ground on trees and tall bushes and rarely patrol for females. Eggs are laid singly on tips of host plant leaves; caterpillars eat leaves. Third-stage caterpillars hibernate.

Host Plants:  
Leaves of many species of trees and shrubs including wild cherry, black cherry, aspen, poplar, cottonwood, oaks, hawthorn, birch, willow, basswood, and shadbush.

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