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 528 verified sightings
Observation date: May 08, 2013
Submitted by: camflies
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 20, 2021
Observation date: Oct 21, 2020
Submitted by: sandisk
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 21, 2020
Observation date: Oct 05, 2020
Submitted by: lilpringle16
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 06, 2020
Observation date: Aug 22, 2020
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Humboldt County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 26, 2020
Observation date: Jun 30, 2020
Submitted by: jhintermeister
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 13, 2020
Observation date: Aug 07, 2020
Submitted by: zbeckb
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 07, 2020
Observation date: Jul 24, 2020
Submitted by: jerelreeves
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 25, 2020
Observation date: Jun 02, 2020
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 05, 2020
Observation date: Jun 07, 2020
Submitted by: camflies
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 09, 2020
Observation date: May 21, 2020
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 04, 2020
Observation date: Jun 02, 2020
Submitted by: alicecas
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 03, 2020
Observation date: May 29, 2020
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 31, 2020
Observation date: May 29, 2020
Submitted by: sarabseth
Region: Marin County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 30, 2020
Observation date: Apr 30, 2016
Submitted by: I Spy Butterflies
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 14, 2020
Observation date: May 13, 2020
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 13, 2020
Observation date: Mar 25, 2020
Submitted by: Zencoyote
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 26, 2020
Observation date: Sep 08, 2018
Submitted by: mhumphri
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 19, 2020
Observation date: Nov 03, 2019
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jan 15, 2020
Observation date: Nov 09, 2019
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Monterey County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 16, 2019
Observation date: Sep 07, 2019
Submitted by: falco1
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 07, 2019
Observation date: Oct 22, 2019
Submitted by: RebeccaR
Region: San Benito County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 24, 2019
Observation date: Oct 13, 2019
Submitted by: XplorMor Intern...
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 22, 2019
Observation date: Oct 01, 2019
Submitted by: ASHLEY SMITH
Region: Placer County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 19, 2019
Observation date: Sep 24, 2019
Submitted by: alicecas
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 25, 2019
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