Species Detail

Mexican Fritillary

Euptoieta hegesia (Cramer, 1779)

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Attributes of Euptoieta hegesia

Family: Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)

Subfamily: Longwings (Heliconiinae)

Identification: 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.

Life history: Adults fly swiftly and erratically above low vegetation, while the sun is shining. Eggs are laid singly on host plants.

Flight: September-October in central Texas, all year in South Texas and tropics.

Wing span: 2 9/16 - 2 15/16 inches (6.5 - 7.5 cm).

Caterpillar hosts: Passion-vines (Passiflora), morning glories (Convolvulaceae), and Turnera.

Adult food: Nectar from flowers of Lantana, Stachytarpheta, and Turnera; occasionally dung.

Habitat: Openings, edges, fields, and weedy areas in tropical and subtropical lowlands and foothills.

Range: Resident in Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies. Strays to southern California, central Arizona, and central Texas.

Conservation: Not required for stray.

NatureServe Global Status: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.

Management needs: Not reported.