Malachite
Siproeta stelenes (Linnaeus, 1758)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Identification: Upperside is dark brown to black with translucent whitish green or yellow-green patches. Underside is orange-brown with greenish patches. Dry season (winter) form is larger and the hindwing underside has smudged black marks inside the orange marginal band; wet season (summer) form is smaller and has silver marks instead of black smudges.
Wing Span: 3 1/4 - 4 inches (8.3 - 10.1 cm).
Life History: Males perch on shrubs in forest or orchard openings and sometimes patrol for females with a slow, floating flight. Adults roost together under the leaves of low shrubs. Eggs are laid singly on host plant leaves, which caterpillars eat and rest beneath.
Flight: Two to three broods during the summer; one brood of the winter form hibernates.
Caterpillar Hosts: Cafetin (Blechum brownei) and ruellia (Ruellia coccinea) in the family Acanthaceae.
Adult Food: Rotting fruit. Occasionally feeds on bird droppings and nectar from flowers of lianas, trees, and sometimes herbaceous plants. Malachites may feed all day long and may fly to flowers 38 feet high in the canopy.
Habitat: Mango, citrus, and avocado orchards in Florida; subtropical evergreen or semideciduous forests in Central America.
Range: Brazil north through Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies to southern Florida and South Texas. A rare stray into Kansas. Comments: The southern Florida populations have become established since the 1960s; presumably having emigrated from Cuba.
Conservation: Monitor United States populations.
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 189 verified sightings
Observation date: Nov 09, 2024
Submitted by: Nick Elf
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Feb 21, 2025
Observation date: Feb 09, 2025
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: Belize District, Belize
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 21, 2025
Observation date: Dec 29, 2024
Submitted by: DannyNYC711
Region: Cameron County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 30, 2024
Observation date: Dec 04, 2024
Submitted by: jpfitzer
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Dec 06, 2024
Observation date: Nov 22, 2024
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 03, 2024
Observation date: Nov 18, 2024
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Dec 01, 2024
Observation date: Mar 15, 2024
Submitted by: chherrmann
Region: Dominican Republic
Verified by: Doug Taron
Verified date: Oct 22, 2024
Observation date: Feb 17, 2024
Submitted by: Arden K. Powell
Region: Copán, Honduras
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 19, 2024
Observation date: Dec 12, 2022
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 14, 2024
Observation date: Jul 23, 2024
Submitted by: Al R
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Aug 27, 2024
Observation date: Mar 12, 2024
Submitted by: Zsigmk
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 13, 2024
Observation date: Jun 13, 2005
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Missouri, United States
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Mar 04, 2024
Observation date: Mar 29, 2006
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Harris County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Mar 04, 2024
Observation date: Dec 01, 2012
Submitted by: ridgeboy
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 13, 2023
Observation date: Aug 12, 2023
Submitted by: Zsigmk
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 14, 2023
Observation date: Nov 19, 2022
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: El Salvador
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: May 26, 2023
Observation date: Nov 19, 2022
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: El Salvador
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: May 26, 2023
Observation date: Feb 12, 2023
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: El Salvador
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: May 14, 2023
Observation date: Feb 04, 2023
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: El Salvador
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: May 14, 2023
Observation date: Feb 19, 2023
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Santa Ana, El Salvador
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: May 14, 2023
Observation date: Jan 16, 2023
Submitted by: Christine Harwood
Region: Cayo District, Belize
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: May 11, 2023
Observation date: Dec 10, 2022
Submitted by: pollinatives
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 17, 2023
Observation date: Mar 09, 2023
Submitted by: Zsigmk
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 10, 2023
Observation date: Dec 13, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
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