Ruddy Daggerwing
Marpesia petreus (Cramer, 1776)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Cyrestinae
Tribe: Cyrestini
Identification: Tip of forewing is elongated. Hindwing has long dagger-like tails. Upperside is orange with 3 thin black lines. Underside is mottled brown and black, resembling a dead leaf.
Wing Span: 2 3/4 - 3 3/4 inches (7 - 9.5 cm).
Life History: To watch for females, males perch 15-30 feet above ground on sunlit trees.
Flight: Most of the year in Florida, but are most common from May-July.
Caterpillar Hosts: Common fig (Ficus carica) and wild banyan tree (F. citrifolia) in the fig family (Moraceae).
Adult Food: Nectar from giant milkweed in Florida; Cordia, Casearia, Lantana, and Mikania in the tropics.
Habitat: Tropical lowland forests and edges; hardwood hammocks.
Range: Brazil north through Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies to southern Florida. Strays north to Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, and South Texas.
Conservation: Not of conservation concern in Florida.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
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 25 - 48 of 200 verified sightings
Observation date: Jan 22, 2023
Submitted by: Rizzo Homeschool
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 22, 2023
Observation date: Jan 03, 2019
Submitted by: David F Smith
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 12, 2022
Observation date: Dec 09, 2022
Submitted by: philsfotos1
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 10, 2022
Observation date: Feb 02, 2009
Submitted by: Rmart
Region: Sinaloa, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 18, 2022
Observation date: Jan 15, 2020
Submitted by: Geni Certain
Region: Guerrero, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 14, 2022
Observation date: Jul 14, 2017
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Chiapas, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 09, 2022
Observation date: Nov 07, 2019
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: Sinaloa, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 19, 2022
Observation date: Feb 11, 2016
Submitted by: BeaLaporte
Region: Yucatan, Mexico
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Sep 16, 2022
Observation date: Dec 04, 2021
Submitted by: brandonlloyd
Region: Jalisco, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 12, 2022
Observation date: May 16, 2022
Submitted by: Monarchspirit
Region: Lee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 18, 2022
Observation date: Apr 19, 2022
Submitted by: sdgoebel
Region: Manatee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 24, 2022
Observation date: Apr 06, 2022
Submitted by: Siam2654
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 09, 2022
Observation date: Mar 16, 2022
Submitted by: Erik Alford
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 17, 2022
Observation date: Jan 31, 2022
Submitted by: rarluck@gmail.com
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 01, 2022
Observation date: Jul 26, 2011
Submitted by: remojbardi
Region: El Salvador
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 23, 2022
Observation date: Sep 08, 2018
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 10, 2021
Observation date: May 20, 2017
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 02, 2021
Observation date: Aug 23, 2021
Submitted by: timoleon
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 16, 2021
Observation date: Sep 27, 2021
Submitted by: Lisbeth K
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 07, 2021
Observation date: Sep 15, 2021
Submitted by: Kabbott
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 29, 2021
Observation date: Jul 12, 2020
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 26, 2021
Observation date: Aug 13, 2021
Submitted by: campbell8300
Region: Texas, Randall County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 14, 2021
Observation date: Sep 23, 2019
Submitted by: Markus M
Region: Jalisco, Mexico
Verified by: Doug Taron
Verified date: Jul 21, 2021
Observation date: Jun 04, 2021
Submitted by: rgerbino
Region: Martin County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 05, 2021
- ‹ previous
- 2 of 9
- next ›