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Aglais milberti

(Milbert's Tortoiseshell)

Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Fire-Rim Tortoiseshell, Milbert Tortoiseshell, Milbert's Tortoiseshell

Description

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Family Lycaenidae

The Lycaenidae are members of the Superfamily Papilionoidea, the true butterflies. Worldwide in distribution, this family has approximately 4,700 species that are unevenly distributed. Coppers are especially dominant in north temperate regions , blues are richest in the Old World tropics and north temperate zones, and hairstreaks are particularly abundant in New World tropics. The adults are typically small to tiny and often brilliantly colored--iridescent blues, bright reds, and oranges. Adults of both sexes have three pairs of walking legs , though most males have fused segments in their front legs. Most adults visit flowers for nectar, but some harvesters feed on wooly aphid honeydew and some hairstreaks feed on aphid honeydew or bird droppings. Females lay single, sea urchin shaped eggs on host leaves or flower buds; the resulting caterpillars are typically slug-shaped. In many species, caterpillars depend on ants for protection, so caterpillars produce sugary secretions that are collected by the ants. Most species overwinter in either the egg or pupal stage.

Subfamily Nymphalinae

Brushfoots are the most prevalent members of the Family Nymphalinae. Distributed worldwide, this is a diverse group that contains several tribes , each with somewhat different structural and biological features. Adults of North American species are predominantly orange, brown, and black. Wing shape and mating systems are variable. Most checkerspots and crescentspots patrol for mates, while the remainder of groups exhibit either perching or perching and patrolling . Migration varies widely; some strong migrants are found in the lady butterflies, tortoiseshells, and anglewings, while other species are local in occurrence. Most species limit their host plants to a few species, but the Painted Lady has one of the widest host palettes of all butterflies. Eggs are laid singly or clustered in groups, and caterpillars be found feeding alone or communally. Brushfoots overwinter as young caterpillars or hibernating adults.

Physical Description

Color:

Forewing tip squared-off. Upperside is black with a wide orange submarginal band which grades to yellow at the inner edge of band. Narrow black marginal border on both wings; the hindwing border may contain some blue spots.

Size/Age/Growth

Wing span : 1 5/8 - 2 1/2 inches (4.2 - 6.3 cm).

Habitat

Wet areas near woodlands, moist pastures, marshes.

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 2,594 meters (0 to 8,510 feet).Mean = 1,109.730 meters (3,640.846 feet), Standard Deviation = 679.250 based on 67 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre.

Biology

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Diet

Caterpillar hosts: Nettles (Urtica dioica and U. procera). Adult food: Usually flowers, such as thistles, goldenrods, and lilacs; probably also sap and rotting fruit.

Reproduction

In the afternoon, males perch on hillsides, banks of gulches, logs , or behind bushes to watch for females. Eggs are laid in large batches of up to 900 on the underside of host plant leaves. Young caterpillars feed together in a web, while older ones feed alone and make shelters of folded leaves tied with silk . Adults hibernate, sometimes in small groups.

Behavior

Flight: Two broods from May-October.

Taxonomy

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Unambiguous Synonyms

  1. Aglais milberti (Godart 1819)

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Aglais

There are approximately 148 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

A. adumbrata · A. alba · A. albapicata · A. albidomaculata · A. amploides · A. angustibalteata · A. atrebatensis · A. baicalensis · A. basimilberti · A. bellieri · A. bimaculata · A. bolandii · A. brunneoviolacea · A. caerulapicata · A. chinensis · A. clarirufa · A. conjuncta · A. connexa · A. consentanea · A. coreensis · A. costadivisa · A. costajuncta · A. cruenta · A. cuneatiguttata · A. dannenbergi · A. derennei · A. discolor · A. elisa · A. erythrophaea · A. eximia · A. expansa · A. extrema · A. falcoides · A. fasciata · A. fervida · A. flavofasciata · A. flavotessellata · A. fulva · A. fulvomarginata · A. furcillata · A. griseomarginata · A. grueti · A. guhni · A. herrmanni · A. ichnusa · A. ichnusoides · A. ignea · A. igneaformis · A. implumis · A. impuncta · A. infraradiata · A. infuscata · A. ioformis · A. ioprotoformis · A. kaiensis · A. kansuensis · A. kaschmirensis · A. ladakensis · A. latericolor · A. latibalteata · A. leodiensis · A. lucia · A. lucida · A. luna · A. lutea · A. luteomarginata · A. lydiae · A. maculomissa · A. magniguttata · A. magnilunulata · A. magninotata · A. magnipuncta · A. mandschurensis · A. mesoides · A. milberti (Milbert's Tortoiseshell) · A. milberti milberti (Milbert's Tortoise Shell) · A. milberti viola · A. monographa · A. neurodes · A. nigra · A. nigricaria · A. nigricostata · A. nigridorsata · A. nigrimarginata · A. nigrita · A. nixa · A. nubilata · A. obscura · A. obtusa · A. ochrea · A. osborni · A. parviguttata · A. parvilunulata · A. parvinotata · A. parvipuncta · A. polaris · A. polychloroides · A. pseudichnusa · A. pseudoconnexa · A. pseudoichnusa

More Info

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 26, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

Last Revised: 2008-11-04