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Anaea andria
The Goatweed Butterfly is relatively large, from 2 - 3". Its wing silhouette is smooth as viewed from the side; not sawtoothed or scalloped. Hindwing has blunt, narrow tail. Male bright orange above, female duller orange with dusky margins and submarginal yellow band. Both sexes are grey or brown below, mottled with brown marks. The Florida Leafwing is similar, but has scalloped wing outline.
Spotted on an island at Lake DeGray. Range: Roughly south of a line from se. Arizona across New Mexico, east of the Rockies in Colorado and s. Wyoming, sw. South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and West Virgina, Virginia, and North Carolina. Sometimes straying and establishing further north, but apparently only temporarily. Rarely seen east of the Appalachians north of the Carolinas.
Goatweed Leafwing butterflies are difficult to spot when they are resting with closed wings. The outside of their wings looks like dead leaves. They lay eggs on specific plants in the croton genus. The caterpillars make a roll in a leaf of their host plant. They leave the nest to eat leaves. As they grow, they make larger nests. The chrysalis resembles a green stink bug. Goatweed Leafwing adult butterflies overwinter as adult butterflies. Adult butterflies eat rotting fruit. bird droppings, dung, and sap.http://www.butterfly-fun-facts.com/butterfly-species/butterflies-f-j/goatweed-leafwing-butterfly-anaea-andria/
Spotted on Nov 4, 2017
Submitted on Nov 10, 2017
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