California Sister
Adelpha californica (Butler, 1865)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Limenitidinae
Identification: This is a medium to large sized brown-black colored butterfly with a relatively narrow dorsal forewing postdiscal creamy white colored band above with a relatively large orange patch on the forewing. Superficially similar looking above to Lorquin's Admiral (Limenitis lorquini) but can be readily separated by the lower placement of the orange forewing patch and the blue lines on the ventral surface of the wings. Can be difficult to separate from Bredow's Sister (Adelpha bredowii) which does not occur in the U.S. and the Arizona Sister (Adelpha eulalia) which does occur in the U.S. Ranges of californica and eulalia are not known to overlap in the USA. Generally, this species is smaller than eulalia. It is less violet below. The dark and bluish ventral hindwing postdiscal bands are poorly developed, sinuous. There are two basal orange bars on the HW below while eulalia has only one. The blue bar along outer edge of white HW bar is incomplete while <
Wing Span: Usually 2.5-4 inches.
Life History: Two or three broods with main flights overlapping from late March into October, adults sometimes lasting into the winter months. Adults often occur and perch on or near hostplants in canyons with water.
Flight:
Caterpillar Hosts: Various oaks, especially Quercus chrysolepis.
Adult Food: Come to mud, water and rotting fruit. Occasionally come to flowers in the fall months.
Habitat: Occurs in foothills and mid-elevation mountains in oak woodland and mixed coniferous forests, often along the edges of woods or in riparian canyons with small streams. Adults stray higher into Canadian and even occasionally Hudsonian Zone.
Range: Most of California (rarely in deserts or Great Basin), southern Oregon and more northern portions of Nevada. Adults will stray into western edges of deserts in California in the fall months to seek water at springs or streams.
Conservation: Not usually required, usually abundant where found.
NCGR: G5. Demonstrably secure globally.
Management Needs: None noted. Common species.
Comments: Ken Davenport, author, April 2011
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 472 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 23, 2017
Submitted by: wallap74
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Dec 26, 2017
Observation date: Sep 17, 2017
Submitted by: PetraM
Region: Sierra County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 15, 2017
Observation date: Oct 15, 2017
Submitted by: prairiefarmer
Region: Benton County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 16, 2017
Observation date: Aug 20, 2017
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 14, 2017
Observation date: Jun 25, 2009
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 29, 2017
Observation date: May 19, 2007
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 29, 2017
Observation date: May 16, 2016
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 21, 2017
Observation date: May 16, 2016
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 20, 2017
Observation date: May 19, 2016
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 20, 2017
Observation date: Jun 05, 2010
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 20, 2017
Observation date: May 06, 2010
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 20, 2017
Observation date: Aug 18, 2017
Submitted by: chirpus
Region: Tulare County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 20, 2017
Observation date: May 04, 2016
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 20, 2017
Observation date: Sep 01, 2017
Submitted by: abwest
Region: Mariposa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 12, 2017
Observation date: Jul 19, 2017
Submitted by: rossbowman
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 23, 2017
Observation date: Jul 16, 2017
Submitted by: rebeccafm
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 17, 2017
Observation date: Jun 19, 2017
Submitted by: breck7348
Region: Amador County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 21, 2017
Observation date: Jun 19, 2017
Submitted by: abfrancis
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 21, 2017
Observation date: Jun 15, 2017
Submitted by: unclebrad
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 15, 2017
Observation date: May 17, 2017
Submitted by: breck7348
Region: Amador County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 18, 2017
Observation date: Mar 19, 2017
Submitted by: PONYRCR
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 20, 2017
Observation date: Jan 25, 2017
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jan 25, 2017
Observation date: Oct 05, 2016
Submitted by: RichHubie
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 06, 2016
Observation date: Sep 20, 2016
Submitted by: Protobikes
Region: Tulare County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 05, 2016
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