Julia Heliconian
Dryas iulia (Fabricius, 1775)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Heliconiinae
Identification: Forewings elongate. Male bright orange above and below; upperside of hindwing with narrow black border on outer margin. Female duller orange, with more black markings above.
Wing Span: 3 1/4 - 3 5/8 inches (8.2 - 9.2 cm).
Life History: Males patrol all day for receptive females. Eggs are laid singly on new growth; caterpillars feed on leaves. Adults forage along a set route of nectar sources each day in a behavior known as "trap-lining".
Flight: Throughout the year in southern Florida and South Texas, strays to the north in summer.
Caterpillar Hosts: Passion-vines including Passiflora lutea in Texas.
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including lantana and shepherd\'s needle; probably others.
Habitat: Subtropical hammock openings and edges, and nearby fields.
Range: Resident in Brazil north through Central America, Mexico, West Indies, peninsular Florida, and South Texas. Strays north to eastern Nebraska.
Conservation: Not usually required, but habitat in South Texas is limited.
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 298 verified sightings
Observation date: Dec 04, 2022
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: El Salvador
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2023
Observation date: Dec 29, 2022
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: El Salvador
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: May 22, 2023
Observation date: Mar 28, 2023
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: El Salvador
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: May 11, 2023
Observation date: Apr 09, 2023
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Apr 29, 2023
Observation date: Mar 19, 2023
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: San Jose, Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Apr 29, 2023
Observation date: Apr 14, 2023
Submitted by: BirdMan52
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 17, 2023
Observation date: Feb 04, 2023
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 15, 2023
Observation date: Mar 02, 2023
Submitted by: Jasmyn Smit
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 12, 2023
Observation date: Dec 09, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
Observation date: Dec 11, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
Observation date: Dec 05, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
Observation date: Nov 19, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
Observation date: Dec 01, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
Observation date: Nov 19, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
Observation date: Feb 14, 2023
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Limon, Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Feb 22, 2023
Observation date: Feb 17, 2023
Submitted by: therapypetz
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 21, 2023
Observation date: May 07, 2021
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Quintana Roo, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 12, 2023
Observation date: May 05, 2021
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Quintana Roo, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 12, 2023
Observation date: Jan 15, 2022
Submitted by: David F Smith
Region: Oaxaca, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Jan 26, 2023
Observation date: Dec 25, 2022
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jan 19, 2023
Observation date: Dec 13, 2022
Submitted by: philsfotos1
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 13, 2022
Observation date: Nov 07, 2022
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Cameron County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 08, 2022
Observation date: Aug 13, 2022
Submitted by: Rosa Ruperto
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Dec 06, 2022
Observation date: Aug 22, 2022
Submitted by: Rosa Ruperto
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Dec 02, 2022
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