California tortoiseshell
Species of butterfly
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The California tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica) is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.
| California tortoiseshell | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Nymphalis |
| Species: | N. californica |
| Binomial name | |
| Nymphalis californica (Boisduval, 1852) | |
Description
The wings of the California tortoiseshell have ragged edges. The upper sides of the wings are orange with black spots and a wide black margin. The undersides of the wings are a mottled dark brown. Its wingspan varies from 3.2 to 7 cm (1+1⁄4–2+3⁄4 inches).[1][2]
Caterpillars are black with white spots and hairs. Each segment of the body has seven spines.[1]
