San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Butterfly Guide 🦋

Color: Two tails on the hindwing. Underside of both wings gray-brown; inner edge of postmedian line bordered narrowly with red-orange. Underside of hindwing has eyespot at lower apex with equal amounts of orange and black.
Wingspan: 7/8 - 1 1/4 inches (2.2 - 3.2 cm)
Host plants: Dead leaves and fruits, and detritus, especially under trees in the cashew family (Anacardiaceae).
Overwintering stage:
Mate-Location system:
Flight: January-September in Texas and Mexico.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Calycopis-isobeon less ↑

Color: Upperside of male brown with purple iridescence; female dull gray. Underside of both wings green with silver-white postmedian band.
Wingspan: 7/8 - 1 1/4 inches (2.2 - 3.2 cm)
Host plants: In Florida halicacabum) of the soapberry family (Sapindaceae). Many other hosts in other parts of the range.
Adult food: Nectar from flowers of balloon vine and Antigonon leptotus.
Overwintering stage:
Mate-Location system:
Flight: August-December

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Chlorostrymon-simaethis less ↑

Color: Upperside of male light blue with a darker narrow border; female dark brown, often with wing bases blue. Underside gray; both wings with a row of dark postmedian dashes. Florida butterflies have one submarginal eyespot on hindwing; Southwest butterflies have two.
Wingspan: 3/4 - 1 1/8 inches (2 - 3 cm)
Host plants: A variety of woody legumes including partridge pea (Cassia brachiata), mesquite (Prosopis species), and rosary pea (Abrus precatorius).
Overwintering stage:
Mate-Location system: patrolling
Flight: Throughout the year in Texas and south Florida, late summer in other parts of its range.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Hemiargus-ceraunus less ↑

Color: Upperside of males pale blue; females with white patches. Underside tan with broken pale lines; forewing inner margin has "blank" areas with no spots.
Wingspan: 3/4 - 1 3/8 inches (2 - 3.5 cm)
Host plants: Ornamental leadwort (Plumbago capensis), rattlebox (Crotalaria incana), hairy milk pea (Galactia volubilis), and lima bean (Phaseolus limensis). Larva has been reared on the crenulate lead plant, Amorpha crenulata.
Adult food: Nectar from shepherd's needle, lippia, and many other flowers.
Overwintering stage:
Mate-Location system:
Flight: All through the year in southern Florida and South Texas.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Leptotes-cassius less ↑

Color: One short hindwing tail. Upperside dark gray; female with blue-gray at lower half of hindwing. Underside hindwing gray with one round black spot near base of costa, postmedian row of small black dots.
Wingspan: 7/8 - 1 1/4 inches (2.2 - 3.2 cm)
Host plants: Plants in mallow family (Malvaceae) including alkali mallow (Sida hederacea) and coastal Indian mallow (Abutilon permolle); also bay cedar (Suriana maritima).
Overwintering stage:
Mate-Location system:
Flight: All year

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Strymon-istapa less ↑

Color: Hindwing with one short and one long tail. Abdomen is blue on top, red-orange beneath. Upperside black with wide-spread iridescent blue. Underside black with iridescent gold markings near tails.
Wingspan: 1 1/4 - 2 inches (3.2 - 5.1 cm)
Host plants: Mistletoe (Phoradendron species) growing on several tree species.
Overwintering stage: chrysalis
Mate-Location system: perching
Flight: March-December

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Atlides-halesus less ↑

Color: Tiny. Upperside copper brown with dull blue at the bases of both wings. Underside of hindwing is copper brown with white at the base; fringe mostly white; 3 small black spots near base; row of black spots at outer margin.
Wingspan: 1/2 - 3/4 inch (1.2 - 2 cm)
Host plants: Chenopodium album, saltbush species (Atriplex), and others in the goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae).
Overwintering stage: chrysalis
Mate-Location system: patrolling
Flight: July-September in the north, all year in South Texas.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Brephidium-exilis less ↑

Color: One narrow tail on hindwing. Upperside of male iridescent blue; summer females uniformly brown, spring females smaller with much blue at the wing bases. Underside of hindwing pale gray with black bar at end of cell, distinct black spots, and three large orange spots at outer margin near tail.
Wingspan: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.9 cm)
Host plants: Many plants in the pea family including yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis), alfalfa (Medicago sativa); various species of vetch (Vicia), clover (Trifolium), wild pea (Lathyrus), and bush clover (Lespedeza); and others.
Adulot food: white sweet clover, shepherd's needle, wild strawberry, winter cress, cinquefoils, asters, and others.
Overwintering stage: caterpillars
Mate-Location system: patrolling
Flight: 3 broods from April-November in the north, many broods from February-November in the south.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Cupido-comyntas less ↑

Color: Upperside of male light blue with darker veins and dusky border; female darker. Underside of forewing with postmedian row of 5 round black spots circled with white.
Wingspan: 3/4 - 1 1/8 inches (2 - 2.9 cm)
Host plants: pea family (Fabaceae) including yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis), rattleweed (Astragalus), mesquite (Prosopis), indigo bush (Dalea), mimosa (Albizia), and indigo (Indigofera) species.
Adult food: Flower nectar from a variety of herbs including spearmint and white sweet clover.
Overwintering stage:
Mate-Location system: patrolling
Flight: 3 broods from March-November everywhere in its range (except South TX); migrates north once each year after hibernating in the south.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Echinargus-isola less ↑

Color: Upperside blue; male with purple tinge, female with no white. Underside of forewing with unbroken pale brown bands from costa to inner margin.
Wingspan: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.9 cm)
Host plants: Leadwort (Plumbago) and many legumes including alfalfa (Medicago sativa), milkvetch (Astragalus), and mesquite (Prosopis).
Overwintering stage:
Mate-Location system: patrolling
Flight: April-September in the north, all through the year in S. Texas and S. California.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Leptotes-marina less ↑

Color: Hindwing has 1 long and 1 short tail. Upperside of both sexes dark brown. Underside of hindwing dark brown with postmedian band of dark dashes edged in white. Blue tail-spot not topped with orange.
Wingspan: 1 - 1 1/2 inches (2.5 - 3.8 cm)
Host plants: Many species of oak (Quercus), walnut (Juglans), and hickory (Carya).
Adult food: Nectar from flowers including dogbane and common milkweed (preferred), chinquapin, small-flowered dogwood, New Jersey tea, meadowsweet, staghorn sumac, white sweet clover, and yarrow.
Overwintering stage: eggs
Mate-Location system: perching
Flight: June-August in the north

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Satyrium-calanus less ↑

Color: One tail on hindwing. Upperside blue-gray with large red spot near tail. Underside of spring/fall form is dark gray, summer form is paler gray. Relatively straight postmedian line is white, bordered with orange on the inside edge.
Wingspan: 7/8 - 1 3/8 inches (2.2 - 3.5 cm)
Host plants: pea (Fabaceae) and mallow (Malvaceae) families including beans (Phaseolus), clovers (Trifolium), cotton (Gossypium), and mallow (Malva)
Adult food: Nectar from many flower species including dogbane, milkweed, mint, winter cress, goldenrod, tick trefoil, and white sweet clover.
Overwintering stage: chrysalis
Mate-Location system: perching
Flight: 2 flights from May-September in the north, 3-4 flights from February-November in the south.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Strymon-melinus less ↑