Nymphalis milberti subpallida

Milbert's Tortoiseshell

Another nettle-feeding butterfly, but one that lays eggs in bunches on the plants, and so distinguishes itself from others on nettle in terms of numbers of larvae. Satyr commas and red admirals, for instance, will each make a nest of a single leaf. The adult stage is the stage of overwintering, same as with our other nymphalids. It's easily distinguishable from mourning cloaks and California tortoiseshells by its beautiful wing colors. Unfortunately, it is a rare find in our mountains. It probably wasn't always so scarce, as it is, for instance, on the Grinnells' list of butterflies they found in the San Bernardinos at the turn of the last century.