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 25 - 48 of 619 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 08, 2023
Submitted by: Carlaselvin
Region: Josephine County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 09, 2023
Observation date: Aug 29, 2023
Submitted by: Zencoyote
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 30, 2023
Observation date: Aug 21, 2023
Submitted by: Zencoyote
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 22, 2023
Observation date: Aug 06, 2023
Submitted by: jthompson6112
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 17, 2023
Observation date: Aug 15, 2023
Submitted by: Zencoyote
Region: San Benito County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 16, 2023
Observation date: Aug 07, 2023
Submitted by: Zencoyote
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 08, 2023
Observation date: Jul 28, 2023
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 04, 2023
Observation date: Jul 24, 2023
Submitted by: madamirie
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 03, 2023
Observation date: Jul 15, 2023
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Marin County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 19, 2023
Observation date: Jun 19, 2023
Submitted by: madamirie
Region: Santa Cruz County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 20, 2023
Observation date: May 07, 2023
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 21, 2023
Observation date: May 18, 2023
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 20, 2023
Observation date: Apr 23, 2023
Submitted by: camflies
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 07, 2023
Observation date: Apr 09, 2023
Submitted by: camflies
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 22, 2023
Observation date: May 22, 2022
Submitted by: Seth Mueller
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 18, 2023
Observation date: Nov 12, 2022
Submitted by: madamirie
Region: Santa Cruz County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jan 11, 2023
Observation date: Jun 28, 2022
Submitted by: flyinganvil
Region: Coos County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jan 02, 2023
Observation date: Jun 27, 2022
Submitted by: flyinganvil
Region: Coos County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jan 02, 2023
Observation date: Nov 19, 2022
Submitted by: Vinita Fernandes
Region: Santa Cruz County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 28, 2022
Observation date: Nov 06, 2022
Submitted by: jasong9019
Region: Marin County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 09, 2022
Observation date: Sep 14, 2022
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: Mariposa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 31, 2022
Observation date: Aug 08, 2022
Submitted by: sandyleapt
Region: Benton County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 10, 2022
Observation date: Aug 21, 2022
Submitted by: Chris Carvalho
Region: Hood River County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 23, 2022
Observation date: Aug 18, 2022
Submitted by: Chris Carvalho
Region: Hood River County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 20, 2022
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