Limenitis arthemis has two different forms with a strikingly different physical characteristic: the presence of a white band along the wings.
The one with the white band is generally called White Admiral and the other without the white band is called Red-spotted Purple.
White Admirals live in the northern part of the North America while the Red-spotted Purples generally live in the south of North America.

There are four subspecies of the White Admiral / Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis):

• Limenitis arthemis arthemis – American White Admiral, with a large white band traversing both the forewings and hindwings;
• Limenitis arthemis rubrofasciata – Western American White Admiral, characterised by the absence of blue spots on its hindwings;
• Limenitis arthemis astyanax – Red-spotted Purple (or Red-spotted Admiral), with red spots on its underside and no white bands on the wings;
• Limenitis arthemis arizonensis – Arizona Red-spotted Purple, with red spots on its underside and no white bands on the wings.

The last two subspecies, Limenitis arthemis arizonensis and Limenitis arthemis astyanax, are indistinguishable from each other, except that Limenitis arthemis arizonensis is found in the southwest and its range does not overlap the range of Limenitis arthemis astyanax.

Sierra Vista, Arizona, USA, 27 April 2008