Poplar admiral

Appearance

The wingspan in spread specimens varies for the males from 66 to 77 mm, and for the females from 82 to 85 mm, all measures done on the larger private collection of ''Limenitis populi'', now in the hands of Jean-Claude Weiss, a specialist of ''Parnassius''. In fact, specimens in the field are relatively of the same size; the differences are mainly because of variations among sub-species, not variations at one location. There are some specimens that are very small, about half the usual size, but they have been specifically bred. There is a noticeable difference in size between sexes. The females have distinct broad white lines over their back wings. On the males the lines are narrower and fainter, and sometimes are not there at all. The upper surface is dark brown with white spots. The white stripe is surrounded by orange and blue borders. The underside is orange.

Naming

* ''Limenitis populi'' ''populi'' , 1758 .
⤷  ''Limenitis populi'' ''batangensis'' Huang, 2001 .
⤷  ''Limenitis populi'' ''bucovinensis'' Hormuzaki, 1897
⤷  ''Limenitis populi'' ''enapius'' Fruhstorfer, 1908
⤷  ''Limenitis populi'' ''fruhstorferi'' Krulikowsky, 1909
⤷  ''Limenitis populi'' ''halasiensis'' Huang & Murayama, 1992
⤷  ''Limenitis populi'' ''jezoensis'' Matsumura, 1919
⤷  ''Limenitis populi'' ''rilocola'' Stichel, 1908- not Mitis -
⤷  ''Limenitis populi'' ''szechwanica'' Murayama, 1981
⤷  ''Limenitis populi'' ''tremulae'' Esper, 1798, with the forms ''belgiensis'' Cabeau, 1914 or ''diluta'' Spuler .
⤷  ''Limenitis populi'' ''ussuriensis'' Staudinger, 1887

Other names are for aberrations:
⤷  ''defasciata'' Schutz, 1908 without the white bands at the hind wings.
⤷  ''excelsior'' Reiss with the white bands very large.
⤷  ''monochroma'' Mitis, 1891 with the upper face black with a shade of green.
⤷  ''nigra'' Paux, 1901 with the upper face entirely black.
⤷  ''radiata'' Schutz, 1912 with the upper face black except two white spots.
⤷  ''ruberrima'' Schutz, 1912 much more tawny.

Distribution

The species is known to occur in western Europe from Denmark to northern Italy , then Germany to Greece, Russia to Japan including China. Jacques Rigout has published precise distribution maps in France of this butterfly. The study was done by listing the data from the specimens preserved in the Paris Museum and the British Museum and captures done by the French entomologists.

Status

The now rare poplar admiral is a protected species. The species is endangered primarily due to the clearing of forests containing the trees that they must feed on to survive, and replacement with more economically valuable conifer forests.

Behavior

They are attracted to foul smells, such as those given off by carrion or dung. The butterflies use their proboscis to draw important minerals from the sap of trees, from the ground or from sweat. They do not visit flowers.

Habitat

Poplar admiral habitat is widespread in continental Europe and many areas in Asia. The large, seldom-seen poplar admiral is one of the biggest butterflies in Europe. It is found in deciduous forests, where aspen or black poplar trees grow. This is because the caterpillar only eats the leaves of these species. At altitude, for instance in the Alps, where there are not large ''Populus'' forests, they accommodate with a grove, in the southeast of France they can be seen flying in large open spaces, for instance in the department of Alpes-Maritimes, as noted by Jacques Rigout. The males are easier to find. The females are rarer, because they tend to stay in the tops of the trees and seldom venture to the ground.