Limenitis populi

Isère, France, July 2006

Poplar Admiral
Limenitis populi

Distribution: Widespread from France (not SW), N Italy, Switzerland and eastwards becoming sporadic in the Balkans and N Greece. Also from S Sweden, S Norway and S Finland. From low levels to around 1500m.

Identification: Distinctive. It is a very large species with a huge wing area. The females are even larger than the males. The rich rusty orange underside has a unique pale blue border and the upperside has a row of submarginal lunules that differentiate it from possible confusion. The female has a large white cell spot and generally bigger white markings than the male.

Flight time: Single brooded, flying for only a few weeks in the year. Generally this is June/ July.

Habitat: Woodland edges following streams where the foodplant, Aspen (Populus tremula) grows. Note: it seems that the butterfly does not require dense stands of the foodplant - it can be growing as individuals in mixed forest.

Behaviour: Individuals may descend early in the morning and rest on damp ground. Quickly they rise to the tree tops where they disperse during the day. In 2006 I noticed they often rest on leaves high up on various tree species. They come lower down in clearings or as they cross fields and roads. I don't know if they ever take nectar, having a strong reputation for liking carrion and animal droppings.

Additional notes: I have such limited experience of this fabulous butterfly. It seems to be very local and sporadic and flies for just a short part of the year that it is very easily missed. I have only found it 3 times - once in 1989, once in 2003 (I saw this one from the car, applied the emergency break and found the dying butterfly in the middle of the road after it had been hit by a lorry travelling in the opposite direction - a tragic loss) and three in 2006.

The 2006 butterflies were ranging along a small stream in a wooded valley, resting in trees and on rocks. In the French département of Isère at 1000m it was flying on 1st July. It was a remarkable site - the small clearing in which this butterfly was photographed also had the White Admiral (L. camilla), Southern White Admiral (L. reducta) and Lesser Purple Emperor (Apatura ilia), all flying together.

Isère, France, July 2006

Isère, France, July 2006

Isère, France, July 2006

Isère, France, July 2006