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
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 568 verified sightings
Observation date: Jan 21, 2013
Submitted by: Tee-tee
Region: Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Aug 04, 2022
Observation date: Jul 31, 2022
Submitted by: Jessosorio
Region: Douglas County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 01, 2022
Observation date: Jul 25, 2022
Submitted by: sandyleapt
Region: Benton County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 29, 2022
Observation date: Jun 26, 2022
Submitted by: camflies
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 06, 2022
Observation date: Jun 21, 2022
Submitted by: madamirie
Region: Santa Cruz County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 25, 2022
Observation date: Jun 12, 2022
Submitted by: MEW2021
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 13, 2022
Observation date: Jun 07, 2022
Submitted by: Samela95437
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 08, 2022
Observation date: Jun 18, 2020
Submitted by: Samela95437
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 31, 2022
Observation date: Jul 08, 2018
Submitted by: Samela95437
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 31, 2022
Observation date: May 24, 2022
Submitted by: Zencoyote
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 31, 2022
Observation date: May 22, 2022
Submitted by: Seth Mueller
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 29, 2022
Observation date: May 01, 2022
Submitted by: pumalover
Region: Fresno County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 02, 2022
Observation date: May 01, 2022
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 02, 2022
Observation date: Apr 07, 2022
Submitted by: jmthornton
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 18, 2022
Observation date: Apr 16, 2022
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 17, 2022
Observation date: Apr 16, 2022
Submitted by: dlister
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 17, 2022
Observation date: Apr 07, 2022
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 16, 2022
Observation date: Sep 03, 2012
Submitted by: yhelfman
Region: Santa Cruz County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 31, 2022
Observation date: Aug 15, 2018
Submitted by: gwoodard
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 24, 2022
Observation date: Sep 30, 2021
Submitted by: leiredna
Region: Santa Cruz County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 30, 2021
Observation date: Oct 09, 2021
Submitted by: leiredna
Region: Alameda County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 15, 2021
Observation date: Jun 14, 2018
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 14, 2021
Observation date: Aug 30, 2021
Submitted by: Zencoyote
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 31, 2021
Observation date: Aug 28, 2021
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 31, 2021
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