Atala
Eumaeus atala (Poey, 1832)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Theclinae
Identification: Abdomen red-orange. Upperside of male wings soft black with iridescent green overlay and markings; female has blue iridescence at basal areas. Underside dull black, hindwing with large red-orange spot and 3 rows of irregular iridescent gold spots.
Wing Span: 1 1/2 - 2 inches (3.8 - 5.1 cm).
Life History: Eggs are laid in groups on upperside of leaf tips. Caterpillars feed in groups out in the open.
Flight: Many flights throughout the year, but most common in early summer.
Caterpillar Hosts: Coontie (Zamia pumila), a shrubby, fernlike native cycad of Florida and the Bahamas; several other introduced plants of the family Cycadaceae.
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including lantana, periwinkle, shepherd's needle, and wild coffee.
Habitat: Subtropical shady hammocks and neighboring open areas; gardens with ornamental cycads.
Range: Southeastern Florida and the Keys, the Bahamas, and Cuba.
Conservation: Eumaeus atala florida is ranked endangered by the State of Florida; may recolonize from the Bahamas. Subspecies florida has The Nature Conservancy rank of T3 - Very rare or local throughout its range or found locally in a restricted range (21 to 100 occurrences). (Threatened throughout its range).
NCGR:
Management Needs: Prevent destruction of habitats with Coontie. Control of caterpillars on ornamental cycads is sometimes necessary. Reintroduce Coontie to the Florida Keys.
Get your BAMONA Gear!
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 73 - 96 of 149 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 10, 2019
Submitted by: Wwetmore
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 30, 2019
Observation date: Jun 25, 2019
Submitted by: Wwetmore
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 30, 2019
Observation date: Aug 26, 2019
Submitted by: Argyle
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 27, 2019
Observation date: Aug 26, 2019
Submitted by: Argyle
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 27, 2019
Observation date: Aug 26, 2019
Submitted by: Argyle
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 27, 2019
Observation date: Aug 18, 2019
Submitted by: Argyle
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 26, 2019
Observation date: Aug 18, 2019
Submitted by: Argyle
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 26, 2019
Observation date: Aug 21, 2019
Submitted by: Ricci
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 26, 2019
Observation date: Aug 21, 2019
Submitted by: Dawn Malvasio
Region: Lee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 21, 2019
Observation date: Aug 03, 2019
Submitted by: Argyle
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 04, 2019
Observation date: Aug 03, 2019
Submitted by: Argyle
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 04, 2019
Observation date: Jul 31, 2019
Submitted by: Argyle
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 31, 2019
Observation date: Jul 30, 2019
Submitted by: flowergirl
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 30, 2019
Observation date: Jul 28, 2019
Submitted by: Penebe2919@gmail.com
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 29, 2019
Observation date: Jul 17, 2019
Submitted by: Firefly21
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 17, 2019
Observation date: Jul 07, 2019
Submitted by: JC’s Garden
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 10, 2019
Observation date: Jul 08, 2019
Submitted by: JC’s Garden
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 10, 2019
Observation date: Jun 11, 2019
Submitted by: JC’s Garden
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 30, 2019
Observation date: May 27, 2019
Submitted by: Penebe2919@gmail.com
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 28, 2019
Observation date: May 03, 2019
Submitted by: plawryniuk
Region: Collier County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 19, 2019
Observation date: May 03, 2019
Submitted by: plawryniuk
Region: Collier County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 19, 2019
Observation date: May 10, 2019
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 13, 2019
Observation date: Nov 06, 2017
Submitted by: Gene Troskey
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 30, 2019
Observation date: Apr 12, 2019
Submitted by: smkwoods689
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 13, 2019
- ‹ previous
- 4 of 7
- next ›