Habitat
Adults: terrestrial
Immatures: terrestrial

Feeding Habits
Adults: nectar and pollen feeding
Immatures: phytophagous

North American
Species: 220

Lepidoptera Nymphalidae
Brush-footed butterflies

Special Characteristics: The brush-footed butterflies are medium to large sized, and variable in colour. The front legs are greatly reduced and lack claws. The front legs are covered with long hairs which resemble a brush. They use only the middle and hind legs for walking. The larvae are variable, but most are generally dark coloured and spiny.

Comments: The larvae feed on foliage of many trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. Most of the brush-footed butterflies are strong fliers and migrants. Others are weak fliers and live in small localized colonies.

Species:
Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus)

Common Name:
Monarch butterfly

Feeding Habits: The larvae feed on the foliage, flower buds and sap of milkweeds.

Distribution:
Widespread in Canada.

Comments:
The larvae have white, black and yellow stripes. This is one of the largest Canadian butterflies with a wingspan of 93 to 105 mm. The monarch migrates south in large numbers in the fall and reappears in the North the following spring. Most of them will pass the winter in Mexico but some winter in Florida and in southern California. The larvae are not affected by poisons in the milkweed, and store the compounds in their bodies. Birds that eat adult or larval monarchs will become sick and will then associate the bright patterns of the adults and larvae with this bad experience.

Species:
Limenitis arthemis (Drury)

Common Name:
White admiral

Feeding Habits: The larvae feed on foliage of willow, aspen and poplar.

Distribution:
Widespread in Canada north to the treeline.

Comments:
The larvae are white with greyish-brown areas and sometimes look like a bird dropping. This is a common and often abundant species that occurs in deciduous and mixed forests, particularly close to water.

Species:
Nymphalis antiopa (Linnaeus)

Common Name:
Mourning cloak

Feeding Habits: The larvae feed on a wide variety of trees, including willow, elm, cottonwood and hackberry.

Distribution:
Widespread in Canada north to the tundra.

Comments:
The larvae are spiny black with fine white spots. They also have a row of orange-red spots on the back. This is a large common butterfly of 45 to 79 mm wingspan. This is one of the few butterflies that overwinters in the adult stage, and the adults are seen in early spring. The mourning cloak is found everywhere including city parks and gardens.