Common Mestra
Mestra amymone (Ménétriés, 1857)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Biblidinae
Identification: 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.
Wing Span: 1 3/8 - 1 15/16 inches (3.5 - 5 cm).
Life History: Adults fly slowly and stay near the hostplants.
Flight: Throughout the year in South Texas, although it is most numerous from June-November.
Caterpillar Hosts: Noseburn (Tragia neptifolia) in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae).
Adult Food: Have been seen at Lantana flowers.
Habitat: Subtropical forest edges, roadsides, weedy fields.
Range: Costa Rica north through Central America to Mexico and South Texas. Strays north to South Dakota and Minnesota.
Conservation: Conserve woodland and brushland along the lower Rio Grande Valley in South Texas.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 285 verified sightings
Observation date: Jan 28, 2024
Submitted by: guy_incognito
Region: Cameron County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 02, 2024
Observation date: Feb 24, 2023
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 23, 2023
Observation date: Jul 02, 2023
Submitted by: abwest
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 02, 2023
Observation date: Mar 09, 2019
Submitted by: David F Smith
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 12, 2022
Observation date: Oct 26, 2022
Submitted by: cjgoin
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 27, 2022
Observation date: Dec 17, 2016
Submitted by: Mariposa 25
Region: Estelí, Nicaragua
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 20, 2022
Observation date: Mar 31, 2022
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Quintana Roo, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 11, 2022
Observation date: Jul 11, 2015
Submitted by: rundm
Region: Quintana Roo, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 10, 2022
Observation date: Jul 29, 2022
Submitted by: Reneerob17
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 04, 2022
Observation date: Apr 25, 2022
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 20, 2022
Observation date: Sep 16, 2021
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Eddy County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 13, 2022
Observation date: Oct 23, 2021
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Nov 17, 2021
Observation date: Jan 02, 2021
Submitted by: cklindsey
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 08, 2021
Observation date: Oct 29, 2020
Submitted by: gpstewart
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 01, 2021
Observation date: Nov 26, 2020
Submitted by: storolaf
Region: Texas, Medina County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 29, 2020
Observation date: Oct 11, 2020
Submitted by: Medina Molly
Region: Bandera County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 08, 2020
Observation date: Oct 06, 2020
Submitted by: Nancy Witthuhn
Region: Ness County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 08, 2020
Observation date: Aug 08, 2020
Submitted by: gpstewart
Region: Texas, Uvalde County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 12, 2020
Observation date: Sep 16, 2010
Submitted by: Jonathan Batkin
Region: Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 19, 2020
Observation date: Dec 02, 2018
Submitted by: Craig M Lipski
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 07, 2019
Observation date: Feb 28, 2019
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 03, 2019
Observation date: Nov 24, 2018
Submitted by: Allen Vajdos
Region: Texas, McMullen County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 03, 2018
Observation date: Nov 23, 2018
Submitted by: marley
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 27, 2018
Observation date: Nov 11, 2016
Submitted by: marley
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 16, 2018
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