California Tortoiseshell — Nymphalid Print

California Tortoiseshell, Nymphalis californica — an original color pencil drawing reproduced as a giclée print.

The California Tortoiseshell is known for dramatic, irregular population explosions that periodically blanket hillsides and roadsides in orange. During these outbreak years, the sheer abundance of butterflies attracts opportunistic predators — ravens are among the most notable, gathering in numbers to prey on the swarms. Larvae feed on various species of ceanothus (Ceanothus spp.), the native shrubs that dot California’s chaparral and woodland slopes.

Original artwork by DH Designs.

Print Details

• 8 x 10 inches, matted with a white mat, unframed — ready to frame
• Giclee print with archival inks on archival paper
• Includes a certificate of authenticity
• Open edition