San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Butterfly Guide 🦋

Color: Underside looks like a dead leaf.
Wingspan: 2 1/4 - 3 1/16 inches (5.7 - 7.8 cm)
Host plants: Various Croton species in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae).
Overwintering stage: N/A
Mate-Location system: perching
Flight: The dry season form flies from September-April; the wet season form from April-September.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Anaea-aidea
http://www.dallasbutterflies.com/Butterflies/html/aidea.html less ↑

Color: Underside looks like a dead leaf. Male summer form is dull red with a barely hooked forewing tip, and a short tail on the hindwing. Male winter form is redder with more dark markings, a definitely hooked forewing tip, and a longer tail than the summer form. Both female forms are lighter red and have an irregular yellow submarginal band. The winter female form has hooked forewing tips.
Wingspan: 2 3/8 - 3 1/4 inches (6 - 8.2 cm)
Host plants: Goatweed (Croton capitatum), Texas croton (C. texensis), and prairie tea (C. monanthogynus); all in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae).
Overwintering stage: adults
Mate-Location system: perching
Flight: The winter form flies from August-May, the summer form from July-August.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Anaea-andria less ↑

Color: Outer margin is indented below tip of forewing. Upperside is black with small white spots and some rusty red near wing bases. Hindwing with median band of cream-colored spots.
Wingspan: 1 1/4 - 1 7/8 inches (3.2 - 4.8 cm)
Host plants: Various low plants of the acanthus family including Ruellia, Jacobina, Beloperone, and Siphonoglossa.
Overwintering stage:
Mate-Location system: perching
Flight: March-November in south Florida and Arizona, throughout the year in South Texas and the tropics.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Anthanassa-texana less ↑

Color: Upperside is white with light brown markings and a double row of light crescents at the margins. Forewing has one round, black spot; hindwing has two. Dry season (winter) form is larger and paler; wet season (summer form) is smaller and darker.
Wingspan: 2 - 2 3/4 inches (5.1 - 7 cm)
Host plants: Water hyssop (Bacopa), Ruellia, and Lippia.
Overwintering stage:
Mate-Location system: patrolling and occasionally perching
Flight: Throughout the year

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Anartia-jatrophae less ↑

Color: Extremely variable geographically. Upperside is reddish brown. Forewing has 1 submarginal eyespot, a jagged row of white spots, and the cell has 1 solid black bar and 2 separate black spots.
Wingspan: 1 3/8 - 2 1/2 inches (3.5 - 6.3 cm).
Host plants: Various hackberries (Celtis species) and sugarberry (Celtis laevigata).
Adult food: Sap, rotting fruit, dung, carrion. Will take moisture at wet spots along roads and streams.
Range: Resident in most of the eastern United States, central Plains states, and the southwest mountains; northern Mexico.
Mate-Location system: perching
Flight: Two broods from May-October.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Asterocampa-celtis less ↑

Color: Geographically variable. Upperside is chestnut brown; forewing with 2 brown bars in the cell, no white spots, and no eyespots near the outer margin. Hindwing uppersides are orange with black submarginal spots in one form, and all black in the other form.
Wingspan: 1 5/8 - 2 3/4 inches (4.2 - 7 cm)
Host plants: Trees of the elm family including Celtis occidentalis, C. tenuifolia, C. laevigata, C. lindheimeri, and C. reticulata.
Overwintering stage: Third-stage caterpillars
Mate-Location system: perching
Flight: June-August in the north; March-November in the south

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Asterocampa-clyton less ↑

Color: Upperside bright orange with black markings; 3 black-encircled white dots on forewing leading edge. Underside brown; forewing with orange at base; both wings with elongated, iridescent silver spots.
Wingspan: 2 1/2 - 3 3/4 inches (6.3 - 9.5 cm)
Host plants: Various species of passion-vine including maypops (Passiflora incarnata) and running pop (P. foetida).
Adult food: Nectar from lantana, shepherd\'s needle, cordias, composites, and others.
Overwintering stage: adults
Mate-Location system: patrolling
Flight: Throughout the year in south Florida and South Texas, January-November in the north.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Agraulis-vanillae less ↑

Color: Variable. Upperside is black with a very wide orange or cream median band and small orange or white postmedian spots. Underside of hindwing is black with a yellow to cream-colored median band, small white postmedian spots, and large cream-colored marginal spots. Red spot near abdomen is usually separate from the median band.
Wingspan: 1 3/8 - 2 inches (3.5 - 5.1 cm)
Host plants: Plants in the sunflower family including sunflowers (Helianthus), ragweed (Ambrosia trifida), crownbeard (Verbesina), and cockleburs (Xanthium).
Overwintering stage: Third-stage caterpillars
Mate-Location system: patrolling
Flight: March-October in California, throughout the year in South Texas.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Chlosyne-lacinia less ↑

Color: Upperside with dark checkered pattern. Black median stripe separates inner yellow-orange band and outer orange band. Underside of hindwing has alternating bands of orange and cream spots, all outlined in black.
Wingspan: 1 1/4 - 1 3/4 inches (3.2 - 4.4 cm)
Host plants: Ceniza blanca (Leucophyllum texanum and L. frutescens) in Texas, paintbrush (Castilleja species) in Arizona.
Overwintering stage: Third- or fourth-stage caterpillars
Mate-Location system: patrolling and sometimes perching
Flight: April-October in the Southwest, throughout the year in the tropics.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Chlosyne-theona less ↑

Color: Upper and lower sides of forewing are black with small white spots. Upper hindwing is black with large orange-red patch on the basal half. Lower side of hindwing has an orange-red postmedian band that does not extend to margins of the wing.
Wingspan: 1 7/8 - 2 5/8 inches (4.8 - 6.7 cm)
Host plants: Scrubby plants in the acanthus family (Acanthaceae) including Anisacanthus wrightii in Texas.
Overwintering stage:
Mate-Location system:
Flight: July-November in South Texas; all year in tropics

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Chlosyne-janais less ↑

Color: Upperside of both wings with basal half unpatterned orange, and little or no contrast between basal and outer parts. Hindwing margins not angled; underside orange-brown with darker pattern.
Wingspan: 2 9/16 - 2 15/16 inches (6.5 - 7.5 cm)
Host plants: Passion-vines (Passiflora), morning glories (Convolvulaceae), and Turnera.
Adult food: Nectar from flowers of Lantana, Stachytarpheta, and Turnera; occasionally dung.
Overwintering stage:
Mate-Location system:
Flight: September-October in central Texas, all year in South Texas and tropics.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Euptoieta-hegesia less ↑

Color: Labial palps long and extended forward. Tip of forewing squared off. Upperside brown, forewing with orange at base and inner margin, and white spots on outer half. Underside of hindwing mottled or smooth violet-gray.
Wingspan: 1 3/8 - 2 inches (3.5 - 5 cm)
Host plants: Several species of hackberry (Celtis).
Adult food: Nectar from flowers of aster, dogbane, dogwood, goldenrod, sweet pepperbush, and others.
Overwintering stage: Adults in the southern part of their range.
Mate-Location system: patrolling
Flight: 2 broods; May-June, and August

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Libytheana-carinenta less ↑

Color: Upperside is gray-white to light brown; hindwing has a median row of white spots and an orange marginal band. Underside is pale orange with white markings.
Wingspan: 1 3/8 - 1 15/16 inches (3.5 - 5 cm)
Host plants: Noseburn (Tragia neptifolia) in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae).
Overwintering stage:
Mate-Location system:
Flight: Throughout the year in South Texas, although it is most numerous from June-November.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Mestra-amymone less ↑

Color: Wings are somewhat translucent. Upperside is gray-brown; male has no markings, female may have 2 small black eyespots. Underside of hindwing is mottled gray, brown, and black and has a distinct median band outlined in white.
Wingspan: 1 5/8 - 2 1/8 inches (4.2 - 5.4 cm)
Host plants: Grasses and sedges.
Overwintering stage: the first winter is passed by first-stage caterpillars, the second winter by mature caterpillars.
Mate-Location system: patrolling and occasionally perching
Flight: mid-June to early August

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Oeneis-polixenes/ less ↑

Color: Forewing is dark orange and black with a pale cream median band. Underside of hindwing is cream to yellowish; spring and fall butterflies (form marcia) have a gray hindwing.
Wingspan: 1 - 1 1/2 inches (2.5 - 3.8 cm)
Host plants: Fogfruit (Lippia lanceolata) and mat grass (Lippia nodiflora) in the verbena family.
Adult food: Nectar from flowers of Lippia and composites including shepherd's needle.
Overwintering stage:
Mate-Location system: patrolling
Flight: Many broods southern Florida; February-October in California; April-September in New Mexico.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Phyciodes-phaon less ↑

Color: Orange above with markings of fine black lines. Below, forewing has a series of postmedian and submarginal orange circles on a dark background.
Wingspan: 7/8 - 1 1/2 inches (2.2 - 3.8 cm)
Host plants: Hairy tubetongue (Siphonoglossa pilosella) in the acanthus family.
Overwintering stage:
Mate-Location system: patrolling
Flight: Many broods from April-September in the north, February-December in South Texas, all year in Mexico.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Phyciodes-graphica less ↑

Color: Dark brown with rows of small brownish orange spots. Underside of hindwing has a median band of two or three rows of white spots, and a red-orange marginal band.
Wingspan: 7/8 - 1 1/4 inches (2.2 - 3.2 cm)
Host plants: Hairy tubetongue (Siphonoglossa pilosella) in Texas, yellow composites in Mexico.
Overwintering stage:
Mate-Location system: patrolling
Flight: April-October

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Texola-elada less ↑

Color: Upperside is chestnut brown; forewing has 2 solid brown bars in the cell, median white spots, and 2 black eyespots near the outer margin.
Wingspan: 1 1/2 - 3 inches (3.8 - 7.6 cm).
Host plants: Tree Celtis pallida in the elm family (Ulmaceae).
Overwintering stage: Third-stage caterpillars
Mate-Location system: perching
Flight: All year in South Texas, April-November in Arizona.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Asterocampa-leilia less ↑

Color: Upperside is chestnut brown with black borders and white spots, underside has black veins
Wingspan: 2 5/8 - 3 7/8 inches (6.7 - 9.8 cm)
Host plants: herb Asclepiadaceae (Milkweeds)
Overwintering stage: N/A
Mate-Location system: patrolling
Flight: July-August

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Danaus-gilippus
Scott, 1986 The Butterflies of North America less ↑

Color: Upperside of male is bright orange with wide black borders and black veins; hindwing has a patch of scent scales. Upperside of female is orange-brown with wide black borders and blurred black veins. Both sexes have white spots on borders and apex. The Viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus) is a Mullerian mimic; it has similar coloration and is also distasteful.
Wingspan: 3 3/8 - 4 7/8 inches (8.6 - 12.4 cm)
Host plants: Milkweeds including common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), swamp milkweed (A. incarnata), and showy milkweed (A. speciosa); and milkweed vine in the tropics.
Adult food: Nectar from all milkweeds. Early in the season before milkweeds bloom, Monarchs visit a variety of flowers including dogbane, lilac, red clover, lantana, and thistles. In the fall adults visit composites including goldenrods, blazing stars, ironweed, and tickseed sunflower.
Overwintering stage: Adults make massive migrations from August-October
Mate-Location system:
Flight: In North America during spring and summer there may be 1-3 broods in the north and 4-6 broods in the south. May breed all year in Florida, South Texas, and southeastern California.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Danaus-plexippus less ↑

Color: Upperside tawny orange with thick dark veins and markings; black spots near margin. Hindwing margin angled and slightly scalloped. Underside of hindwing with a mottled pattern and no silver spots.
Wingspan: 1 3/4 - 3 1/8 inches (4.5 - 8 cm)
Host plants: maypops (Passiflora incarnata), may apple (Podophyllum peltata), violets (Viola), purslane (Portulaca), stonecrop (Sedum), and moonseed (Menispermum)
Adult food: Nectar from several plant species including butterflyweed, common milkweed, dogbane, peppermint, red clover, swamp milkweed, and tickseed sunflower
Overwintering stage: overwinters only in the south; flies north each spring and summer
Mate-Location system: patrolling
Flight: 3 broods from April-October in the north, four broods from February or March-November or December in the south.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Euptoieta-claudia
Scott, 1986 The Butterflies of North America less ↑

Color: Upperside is brown. Forewing with 2 orange cell bars and 2 eyespots; part of white subapical band appears in the largest, lower eyespot. Hindwing has 2 eyespots; upper one is largest and contains a magenta crescent. Underside of hindwing is brown or tan in the wet season (summer) form and rose-red in the dry season (fall) form.
Wingspan: 1 5/8 - 2 3/4 inches (4.2 - 7 cm)
Host plants: Plants from the snapdragon family including snapdragon (Antirrhinum) and toadflax (Linaria); the plantain family including plantains (Plantago); and the acanthus family including ruellia (Ruellia nodiflora).
Overwintering stage: caterpillars and adults overwinter but only in the south
Mate-Location system: perching
Flight: May-October, except in the Deep south

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Junonia-coenia less ↑

Color: Upperside is orange and black, resembling the Monarch (Danaus plexippus), except the Viceroy has a black line across the hindwing and a single row of white dots in the black marginal band. Where Monarchs are rare in Florida, Georgia, and the Southwest, Viceroys are brown instead of orange and mimic the Queen (Danaus gilippus).
Wingspan: 2 1/2 - 3 3/8 inches (6.3 - 8.6 cm)
Host plants: Trees in the willow family (Salicaceae) including willows (Salix), and poplars and cottonwoods (Populus).
Adult food: Early in season - aphid honeydew, carrion, dung, and decaying fungi. Later generations feed more often at flowers, favoring composites including aster, goldenrod, joe-pye weed, shepherd's needle, and Canada thistle.
Overwintering stage: third stage caterpillar
Mate-Location system: perching and patrolling
Flight: 2-3 broods from May-September in most of its range

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Limenitis-archippus less ↑

Color: Quite variable. Males usually have black antennal knobs. Upperside is orange with black borders; postmedian and submarginal areas are crossed by fine black marks. Underside of hindwing has a dark marginal patch containing a light-colored crescent. Spring and fall broods (form marcia) have a gray mottled hindwing below.
Wingspan: 1 1/4 - 1 3/4 inches (3.2 - 4.5 cm)
Host plants: Several species of smooth-leaved true asters including Aster pilosus, A. texanus, and A. laevis.
Adult food: Nectar from a great variety of flowers including dogbane, swamp milkweed, shepherd's needle, asters, and winter cress.
Overwintering stage: third-stage caterpillars
Mate-Location system: patrolling
Flight: April-November in the north, throughout the year in the Deep South and Mexico

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Phyciodes-tharos less ↑

Color: Forewing hooked; upperside is red-orange with black spots. Upperside hindwing of summer form is mostly black with a short tail; that of winter form has much orange and a longer, violet-tipped tail. Underside is light brown; hindwing with pearly white question mark in center.
Wingspan: 2 1/4 - 3 inches (5.7 - 7.6 cm)
Host plants: American elm (Ulmus americanus), red elm (Ulmus rubra), hackberry (Celtis), Japanese hop (Humulus japonicus), nettles (Urtica), and false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica).
Overwintering stage: adults
Mate-Location system: perching
Flight: May-September

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Polygonia-interrogationis less ↑

Color: Upperside is black with white spots near the apex; forewing with red median band, hindwing with red marginal band. The winter form is smaller and duller, summer form larger and brighter with an interrupted forewing band.
Wingspan: 1 3/4 - 3 inches (4.5 - 7.6 cm)
Host plants: Nettle (Urticaceae); Mulberry (Moraceae)
Overwintering stage: adult
Mate-Location system: perching
Flight: Two broods from March-October in the north, winters from October-March in South Texas

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Vanessa-atalanta
Scott, 1986 The Butterflies of North America less ↑

Color: Upperside with uneven brown, yellow, and orange pattern. Forewing with a black apical patch, a small white spot in the orange field below the patch, and a white bar at the leading edge of the forewing. Underside of hindwing with two large eyespots. Winter form is smaller and paler, summer form larger with brighter coloring.
Wingspan: 1 3/4 - 2 5/8 inches (4.5 - 6.7 cm)
Host plants: Plants in the sunflower family everlasting (Gnaphalium obtusifolium), pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea), plantain-leaved pussy toes (Antennaria plantaginifolia), wormwood (Artemisia), ironweed (Vernonia), and burdock (Arctium).
Overwintering stage: adults
Mate-Location system: perching
Flight: May-November; all year in the Deep South and South Texas

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Vanessa-virginiensis less ↑