Tropical Leafwing
Anaea aidea (Guérin-Méneville, [1844])
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Charaxinae
Identification: Underside looks like a dead leaf.
Wing Span: 2 1/4 - 3 1/16 inches (5.7 - 7.8 cm).
Life History: Adults are rapid, strong fliers and often perch high in trees. Males perch on branches 6-10 feet above the ground to watch for females. Eggs are laid singly on the host plant; caterpillars eat leaves. Young caterpillars use a leaf vein as a perch; older caterpillars rest in rolled-up leaves.
Flight: The dry season form flies from September-April; the wet season form from April-September.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various Croton species in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae).
Adult Food: Sap, dung, and decaying fruit.
Habitat: Tropical forest edges, trails, streamsides.
Range: Northwest Costa Rica north to Mexico. Wanders occasionally to California, Arizona, Kansas, and South Texas.
Conservation: Not required for rare 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.
Comments: Is a full species, not a subspecies of A. troglodyta.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 144 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 27, 2023
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 04, 2023
Observation date: Feb 24, 2023
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 13, 2023
Observation date: Feb 26, 2023
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 02, 2023
Observation date: Oct 24, 2019
Submitted by: Markus M
Region: Jalisco, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
Observation date: Sep 10, 2022
Submitted by: mfernandabarraza
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 02, 2023
Observation date: Oct 28, 2019
Submitted by: David F Smith
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 12, 2022
Observation date: Dec 05, 2022
Submitted by: philsfotos1
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 06, 2022
Observation date: Nov 12, 2022
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 02, 2022
Observation date: Oct 30, 2022
Submitted by: Chrustay
Region: Hidalgo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 23, 2022
Observation date: Nov 12, 2022
Submitted by: Doug Backlund
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Nov 12, 2022
Observation date: Nov 07, 2022
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 08, 2022
Observation date: Oct 29, 2022
Submitted by: cklindsey
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 04, 2022
Observation date: Oct 27, 2022
Submitted by: hgbyrne
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 31, 2022
Observation date: Mar 01, 2022
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 31, 2022
Observation date: Jul 20, 2021
Submitted by: rchensley
Region: Comal County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 09, 2022
Observation date: Oct 07, 2022
Submitted by: Honu Green
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 09, 2022
Observation date: Oct 04, 2022
Submitted by: DannyboyKS
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 05, 2022
Observation date: May 26, 2022
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 26, 2022
Observation date: May 01, 2022
Submitted by: Marcia Corl
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 08, 2022
Observation date: Apr 02, 2022
Submitted by: John Saba
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Apr 02, 2022
Observation date: Dec 13, 2021
Submitted by: joel151
Region: Luna County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 14, 2021
Observation date: Dec 03, 2021
Submitted by: Rob Wu
Region: New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 07, 2021
Observation date: Sep 23, 2021
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 04, 2021
Observation date: Oct 24, 2021
Submitted by: Chrustay
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 30, 2021
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