Limenitis lorquini

This is one of the most familiar butterflies in our area, being conspicuous, common, and freely inhabiting suburban gardens. The egg is laid at the very edge of a leaf, usually of Ocean Spray, but I have also found caterpillars on willows, Crab Apple, Black Hawthorn, White and Black Poplar, Saskatoonberry and once on Red Alder. The young caterpillar nibbles at the very end of a leaf, leaving the central vein sticking out. While still very small, it rolls the end of the leaf up into a little hibernaculum for itself to snooze away the winter months. When full-grown, in the spring, it has a brown and a green colour form. The adult butterfly first appears in June, but the hot months of July are when most of them can be seen.