Attributes of Melanis pixe

Red-bordered Pixie
Melanis pixe (Boisduval, 1836)
Family: Riodinidae
Subfamily: Riodininae
Identification: Upperside black. Tip of forewing yellow-orange; base of wing with red spot. Hindwing outer margin with band of red spots.
Wing Span: 1 1/2 - 1 7/8 inches (3.8 - 4.4 cm).
Life History: Eggs are laid in groups of 10-30 on the host tree leaves, stems, or bark; caterpillars feed gregariously on leaves and pupate together in groups.
Flight: January-November in South Texas.
Caterpillar Hosts: Guamuchil (Pithecellobium dulce), Albizia, and Inga species; all in the pea family (Fabaceae).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers of Pithecellobium, Albizia, Inga, Coffea, Cordia, Lantana, and Citrus.
Habitat: Lowland riparian tropical forest, city parks.
Range: Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas south to Costa Rica.
Conservation: Not required for occasional stray.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Taxonomy Notes:

Images of Melanis pixe

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Melanis pixe - Red-bordered_Pixie_2007-10-24_01crop_Gary_Jue.jpg

Melanis pixe - Red-bordered_Pixie_2007-10-24_01crop_Gary_Jue.jpg
Melanis pixe - 52062.jpg

Melanis pixe - 52062.jpg

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The map below displays all verified sighting records in the BAMONA database for this species. Each record is indicated with a yellow dot. The orange dots on the map provide access to information about the 400 most recently verified sightings of this species. In some instances, there are several records at the same location. Use the table view to access these records.

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The fifty most recently verified sightings are below. See more recently verified sightings of all species.

Observation Date Submitter Region Verified Datesort icon
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Nuevo Leon, Mexico December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Tamaulipas, Mexico December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Cameron County, Texas, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Texas, Starr County, United States December 31, 2004 Details
February 15, 2002 legacy.reporter (North American Butterfly Association (NABA) of South Texas)) Hidalgo County, Texas, United States January 29, 2007 Details
October 15, 2006 legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler) San Luis Potosi, Mexico October 01, 2007 Details
October 16, 2006 legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler) Tamaulipas, Mexico October 01, 2007 Details
October 17, 2006 legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler) Tamaulipas, Mexico October 01, 2007 Details
October 24, 2007 Gary Jue (Gary Jue) Hidalgo County, Texas, United States July 24, 2009 Details
May 05, 2012 John van Dort Francisco Morazán, Honduras May 05, 2012 Details
October 06, 2010 Doug Taron Veracruz-Llave, Mexico January 11, 2013 Details
February 16, 2013 Doug Taron Jalisco, Mexico February 26, 2013 Details
December 16, 2012 Rwc5830 Cameron County, Texas, United States April 11, 2013 Details