Sibling Admirals: Commander in Chief of the Butterfly Fleet

 

Hmmm, is there a hierarchy of command even in the butterfly world?

Instalment #2 of my beat-the-January-blues posts – another wistful look back on the winged wonders that passed my way during my summer rambles. My attention was drawn today to the always striking Admiral butterflies which grace many a woodland trail.

Admirals are large, eye-catching butterflies that alternate between quick wing beats and flat-winged glides. They are often found perching on trees along trails or on the ground in muddy spots – a behaviour known as puddling.

The Admirals pictured at the head of this post are a White Admiral and a Red-Spotted Purple.

No mystery why White Admirals are so named. The broad, jagged white bar across the blue-black wing is unmistakeable. A reminder that simple black and white can still be exquisite – particularly when offset against the broad green leaves within which this specimen is cradled. The scalloped, checkerboard pattern on the wing edges is literally icing on the cake.

Red-Spotted Purples are always a dazzling sight when they perch with their wings closed. The blotchy orange spots beg the question: Why it is called red-spotted? But why quibble in the face of such elegance? Mix in the blue-white frosting, the orange spot band and, once again, the scalloped, checkerboard pattern on the wing edges, and the total effect is mesmerizing.

Quite a striking pair of cousin species, wouldn’t you agree? But in fact they are more siblings than cousins as they are now considered to be the same species. South of the Great Lakes you will only see the Red-spotted Purple and north of Superior only the White Admiral.

I’m fortunate to live in the overlap zone, between the northern and southern range, so I see both on a regular basis. An added bonus in this overlap zone: There are occasionally intermediates (also known as intergrades) which show a blending of the two colour schemes.

I do not know who choose Admiral as the name of this species of butterfly or why they did so. But it seems quite appropriate, for those of us who trade in metaphors, to think of them as Commander in Chief of the butterfly fleet.

Admirals sail with effortless grace along woodland trails like protectors of their race. I for one am inclined to salute them and accord them the rank they unofficially have acquired.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

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