What is a California sister?

By Chelsie Vandaveer

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February 18, 2004

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The California sister (Adelpha bredowii Geyer) is a large butterfly of limited range found on the west coast from southern Oregon south into Mexico and eastward to Colorado and Texas. On top of the wings, California sisters are black with a white band and a large orange spot near the tip of the forewings. The undersides of the wings are marked with auburn, red, orange, white, and pale blue. They are creatures of open wooded hillsides and valleys.

The caterpillars have two forms: green on the back and brown on the underside or yellow-orange on the back and tan underneath. The caterpillars feed on the mature leaves of evergreen oaks, primarily on the canyon live oak (Quercus chrysolepis Liebmann) and the coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia Née). Young caterpillars construct a sheltering perch made of dung and silk hanging from an

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oak leaf.

The female butterfly lays one egg per leaf near the edge; her young will not have to compete with each other for food resources. The butterflies are usually bivoltine (2 generations per year), but the caterpillars of the second generation enter diapause and sleep through the winter. This generation pupates in the early spring.

The adults drink at muddy soils and from riverside sands. They feed on 'honeydew' secreted from aphids, fruit that has fallen and split open, and flower nectar from the California buckeye (Aesculus californica Nuttall). According to the Field Guide to North American Butterflies, California sisters like California wineries; they are attracted to areas where grape juice has been spilled.

(Compiled from: Field Guide to North American Butterflies, National Audubon Society, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1994 and "California Sister (Adelpha bredowii)", Jane M. Struttmann, Butterflies of North America, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, USGS)

The North American Butterfly Association has posted a photograph of a California sister visiting fruit (persimmons?) taken by M. Hannisian in Texas. To view the photograph, click on the link:

http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabast/bredowii.html

The NABA is a great organization for butterfly enthusiasts. To learn more about butterflies, the NABA, or to join, click on their homepage:

http://www.naba.org

The Dallas County Lepidopterists' Society has posted a photograph of the caterpillar of the California sister taken by Dale Clark. To view the photograph, click on the link:

http://www.dallasbutterflies.com/Butterflies/LARVA/bredowiilarva.htm

To learn more about the DCLS, visit their homepage:

http://www.dallasbutterflies.com

killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~

Suggested Reading:

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How does a marsh marigold glow? Renfield's Garden - April 24, 2002
What queen only rules for one year? Renfield's Garden - September 25, 2002
Sometimes, a law is just nuts! Renfield's Garden - May 1, 2002
What flower moves when touched? Renfield's Garden - August 14, 2002

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