Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Blomfild's Beauty
Smyrna blomfildia (Fabricius, 1781)


Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Limenitidinae
Identification: Upperside of male is red-orange, female is brown; both a have black forewing apex with three white spots. Underside of hindwing has a wavy brown and tan pattern with two submarginal eyespots.
Wing Span: 3 - 3 1/2 inches (7.6 - 9 cm).
Life History: Males are somewhat territorial and perch head downward on tree trunks to wait for females. Eggs are laid singly under host plant leaves; caterpillars eat leaves and rest underneath them. Adults fly swiftly and roost singly.
Flight: All through the year in the tropics.
Caterpillar Hosts: Tree Urera in the nettle family (Urticaceae).
Adult Food: Rotting fruit.
Habitat: Tropical forests.
Range: Peru north through Central America to Mexico. Periodically wanders to South Texas.
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.
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