Gray Cracker Hamadryas februa (Hübner, [1823])

Family: Nymphalidae

Subfamily: Biblidinae

Identification: Upperside is mottled brown and white; forewing cell bar with some red; hindwing eyespots have orange scales before the black crescents. Underside of hindwing is white; submarginal eyespots are composed of a brown ring around a black crescent in a white center.

Wing Span: 2 3/4 - 3 3/8 inches (7 - 8.6 cm).

Life History: Adults rest on tree trunks head downward with their wings spread open. Males perch on trees and make a cracking sound when they dart out at passing insects (and people). Eggs are laid singly under leaves or sepals of the host plant; caterpillars are solitary and build resting platforms out of dung pellets. Before dark, adults gather on a single tree, then disperse to roost in nearby trees or shrubs.

Flight: Many flights; throughout the year in the tropics, August-October in South Texas.

Caterpillar Hosts: Vines (Dalechampia) and herbs (Tragia) in the family Euphorbiaceae.

Adult Food: Sap and rotting fruit.

Habitat: Subtropical forest and edges, cultivated areas with trees.

Range: Argentina north through tropical America to Mexico. A rare stray to the lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas.

Conservation: Not required for a 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: NULL

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Verified Sightings

Displaying 49 - 57 of 57 verified sightings

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Observation date: Jul 28, 2004

Submitted by: legacy.reporter (North American Butterfly Association (NABA) of South Texas))

Region: Texas, Nueces County, United States

Verified by: legacy.verifier (North American Butterfly Association (NABA) of South Texas))

Verified date: Jan 29, 2007

Details

Observation date: unknown