Insects › Brush-footed Butterflies
California Tortoiseshell
Nymphalis californica
28 photos
Study shows up to four per card, from different observers, so you learn the species rather than one picture. Heart the good ones and swap any you do not like.
Photos you add are credited to you, and you keep the copyright.
Easily confused with
Milbert's TortoiseshellAglais milberti
Mourning CloakNymphalis antiopa
Painted LadyVanessa cardui
Hoary CommaPolygonia gracilis
Green CommaPolygonia faunus
Satyr CommaPolygonia satyrus
Compton TortoiseshellNymphalis l-album
West Coast LadyVanessa annabella
Study checks a spoken answer against these, and tells you which one you named.
Where it is recorded
| United States | 13,823 |
|---|---|
| California | 9,598 |
| Oregon | 4,418 |
| Canada | 2,727 |
| British Columbia | 2,025 |
| Washington | 1,642 |
| Idaho | 1,275 |
| Utah | 968 |
| Alberta | 934 |
| Wyoming | 274 |
Counts show where people looked, not only where it lives.
Traits
Physical
- MetamorphosisUndergoes dramatic body transformation during developmentFrom its classification
- ExoskeletonHas a hard external skeletonFrom its classification
Group and habits
- Animal pollinatorDescends from an animal lineage whose members commonly pollinate flowers.Inferred from its group
Classification
| Kingdom | Animals · Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Arthropods · Arthropoda |
| Class | Insects · Insecta |
| Order | Butterflies and Moths · Lepidoptera |
| Family | Brush-footed Butterflies · Nymphalidae |
| Genus | Tortoiseshells · Nymphalis |
Sources
- Names, taxonomy and observation counts: www.inaturalist.org
- Photos and recordings: the creator and source are on each one.
- How much to rely on each source
Remember the name next time.
Practise California Tortoiseshell with real photos from different observers. Say the name out loud, and it comes back just before you would forget it.