Our species profile for this issue is the Lorquin’s Admiral, Limenitis lorquini. The Lorquin’s Admiral belongs to the largest butterfly family, the Nymphalidae, which includes the fritillaries, checkerspots, crescents, anglewings, tortoiseshells, ladies, sisters monarchs and admirals, in addition to many tropical groups. The brushfoots are characterized by appearing to have only four legs, the remaining two in the front being reduced to brush-like appendages under the front of the head. In Washington are three species of admirals: the Lorquin’s Admiral, the Viceroy and the California Sister-the latter being found only occasionally in southwestern Washington.

The Lorquin’s Admiral is a western North American species, found in central British Columbia and southwestern Alberta, south to Baja California, east to northeastern Nevada and southeastern Idaho. In Washington, Lorquin’s Admiral is widespread and common, and has been reported from every county. This colorful species is found in a variety of habitats, including riparian areas, bottomlands, forest margins and open forests. The species is single-brooded, but emerges at staggered times dependent on elevation and season. Thus it may be seen on the wing from early May throughout the summer, and has been reported as late as early October.

The Lorquin’s Admiral has an interesting life cycle. Females deposit eggs singly on the host plant in the spring or summer. The large white egg is spherical in shape, with an unusual and distinctive hexagonal pattern of ridges on the surface and a tiny hair protruding from each intersection of the many hexagons. The eggs are laid on any of a variety of host trees and shrubs, including willow, poplar, apple, cherry, douglas spiraea, chokecherry and serviceberry. The larvae are rather bizarre-looking, with a white “bird dropping” saddle on an otherwise mostly chestnut brown body,  Near the head are two large, branched, reddish-brown “horns”, and the larva often assumes an arched S-shaped position.

The young larva overwinters in a hibernaculum, a rolled leaf shelter, in the second or third instar, and resumes growth in the spring. The chrysalis is equally bizarre, with a large knob-like protrusion from its belly; this knobby structure has no known function.

Adult Lorquin Admirals are colorful and unmistakable. With a wingspan of 2.5 inches, their wings on the dorsal surface are black with a sharply contrasting band of large white spots along the outer part of the hindwing and crossing near the middle of the forewing. The forewings are broadly tipped in bright orange. Ventrally the wings are mostly orange, and the big white spot bands of the dorsal surface are equally distinctive on the ventral side. Adults sip sap, fruit and excrement, and less frequently flower nectar. Males are often seen mudding, sometimes in aggregations. Adult males perch along valley bottoms awaiting females, and aggressively fly out to confront any passersby, including birds and even humans.

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