Elf
Microtia elva H.W. Bates, 1864
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Identification: Forewings elongated and rounded. Wings are black; forewing with two large yellow-orange patches; hindwing with one patch.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 7/16 inches (2.5 - 3.7 cm).
Life History: Males patrol all day with a slow flight.
Flight: Late July in South Texas, throughout the year in the tropics.
Caterpillar Hosts: Not reported.
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Open fields in seasonal lowland tropics.
Range: Venezuela north through Central America and Mexico. Rare stray to eastern Missouri, South Texas, and southern Arizona.
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: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 60 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 14, 2023
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: May 15, 2025
Observation date: Nov 09, 2024
Submitted by: Nick Elf
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Feb 21, 2025
Observation date: Oct 03, 2024
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Dec 06, 2024
Observation date: Jun 10, 2023
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 19, 2024
Observation date: Jun 10, 2023
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 19, 2024
Observation date: Jun 14, 2023
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 18, 2024
Observation date: Jul 19, 2024
Submitted by: Al R
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Aug 26, 2024
Observation date: Jun 10, 2023
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Aug 02, 2024
Observation date: Jun 09, 2023
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Aug 02, 2024
Observation date: Jun 09, 2023
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 31, 2024
Observation date: Dec 08, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
Observation date: Nov 25, 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: Nov 13, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
Observation date: Jun 18, 2017
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Feb 06, 2023
Observation date: Sep 28, 2020
Submitted by: Graywing
Region: Nuevo Leon, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Jan 26, 2023
Observation date: Nov 13, 2019
Submitted by: IslandEd
Region: Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Jan 26, 2023
Observation date: Mar 03, 2019
Submitted by: David F Smith
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 12, 2022
Observation date: Feb 08, 2016
Submitted by: BeaLaporte
Region: Yucatan, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 25, 2022
Observation date: Nov 28, 2017
Submitted by: bobscafe
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Aug 23, 2022
Observation date: Dec 06, 2016
Submitted by: bobscafe
Region: Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jul 30, 2022
Observation date: Dec 07, 2016
Submitted by: bobscafe
Region: Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jul 30, 2022
Observation date: Nov 10, 2018
Submitted by: Elyanmj
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jul 25, 2022
Observation date: Dec 24, 2012
Submitted by: Allen B
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Feb 04, 2022
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