Red-spotted Purple

Place name abbreviations: MPEA – Middle Patuxent Environment Area; PRSP – Patuxent River State Park; PVSP – Patapsco River Valley State Park.

Click on the common name to obtain additional information from the Butterflies and Moths of North America web page and the following common name for additional information from USGS web page. BugGuide is another web resource.

Legend:

Common name [Link is to BAMONA] (wingspan range in inches)
Common name [link is to USGS]
Occurrence level & flight period.
Habitat. Typically visits (for nectaring). Larval host plants.

 

Red-spotted Purple (2.25–4″)
Red-spotted Purple
Common: L-May to M-Sep Wet woods roads Wet spots, rotting fruit Wild cherry, poplar, aspen


Daniels

July 20, 2011
Daniels Road (PVSP)
Richard Orr

MPEA

May 20, 2012
MPEA
Allen Lewis

81Red-spottedPurple-083

July 7, 2012
Ellicott City
Kathy Litzinger

Pigtail

August 26, 2011
Pigtail (Triadelphia Reservoir)
Richard Orr

81Red-spottedPurple

August 23, 2006
Centennial Park
June Tveekrem

81Red-spottedPurple_pupating-295

Pupating
April 21, 2012
Columbia
Linda Hunt

81Red-spottedPurple_pupa-001

Pupa
April 24, 2012
Columbia
Linda Hunt

West Friendship Park

Beginning to emerge
September 6, 2015
West Friendship Park
Bonnie Ott

West Friendship Park

Energing
September 6, 2015
West Friendship Park
Bonnie Ott

Individuals seen in each 10-day period to date during the butterfly survey

The phenograms show the maximum number of individual butterflies of this species seen in the first eight years of the Howard County Butterfly Survey. From these graphs, one can see the number of broods of each species, when they are active, and the relative abundance of the species in each brood. The observed early and late dates are shown below The graphs can be used to anticipate the first sighting of a given species in the year and can help with identification.

Early: 4/30/2017 Late: 11/11/2019