Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Band-celled Sister
Adelpha fessonia (Hewitson, 1847)


Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Limenitidinae
Identification: Upperside is dark brown with an orange forewing apex. White median band across both wings reaches the forewing leading edge.
Wing Span: 2 3/16 - 2 3/4 inches (5.6 - 7 cm).
Life History: Males perch in light gaps, along forest edges, or in the canopy. Females lay eggs singly on leaves of host plants in light gaps and forest edges.
Flight: March-April and July-December in Texas, March-November in Mexico and Central America, perhaps all year in Costa Rica.
Caterpillar Hosts: Hackberry Celtis lindheimeri in Texas.
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers such as Cordia, Croton, and Baccharis; decaying fruit.
Habitat: Forest edges and trails near streams.
Range: Panama north through Central America to Mexico. A periodic resident in the lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas.
Conservation: Not required for rare stray and infrequent resident.
NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
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