Not a Moose, But White Admirals and Red-Spotted Purple Hybrids

Blue skies and dry air in the North Country--a perfect day to carry a canoe into Cod Pond. Our moose was nowhere to be found, but we pondered on a lone loon for awhile, wondering if he or she had a mate, and if so, was there a nest or young ones? Based on our observations, it appears that the loon is single and perhaps a temporary visitor to the pond. We also found otter scat on top of a number of rocks in reedy, grassy areas, but it wasn't likely we'd see one at midday. Have to get up before five to get there early enough to see otters.

What I did find were lots of butterflies--hybrids of White Admirals and Red-Spotted Purples. They are the same species, though Red-Spotted Purples tend to inhabit the southern U.S. and White Admirals are found in southern Canada and the very northernmost sections of the eastern U.S. In between these two regions is an area where both varieties can be found, and they often hybridize, sharing traits of each variety.


I found at least a dozen or more sitting in the ashes of an old campfire. Because they all blend in well with this background, they are hard to see in this photo. But if you look carefully at the top, you'll notice the broad white band on these black butterflies and the marginal row of blue dashes. These are traits of White Admirals. But, on others, notice the many reddish spots that are more characteristic of Red-Spotted Purples. It's frustrating to be a student of butterflies and not an expert. If anyone knows anything more about these butterflies, please comment.