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Project Noah Nature School
Euptoieta claudia
Upper sides are tawny orange with thick dark veins and markings. They have black spots near margin. The Hindwing margin is angled and slightly scalloped. The underside of the hindwings have a mottled pattern with no silver spots. The wing span is 1 3/4 - 3 1/8 inches (4.5 - 8 cm).Males will patrol short distances in flat, dry, open places. Eggs are laid singly on host plant stems and leaves; caterpillars eat leaves and flowers. Three broods from April-October in the north, four broods from February or March-November or December in the south. Their range is the higher elevations of Argentina through Central America and Mexico to the southern United States; also Cuba and Jamaica. Regularly colonizes north through most of the United States except the Pacific Northwest.
They are found in open sunny areas such as prairies, fields, pastures, road edges and landfills. Males will patrol short distances in flat, dry, open places. Eggs are laid singly on host plant stems and leaves; caterpillars eat leaves and flowers. A variety of plants are hosts in several families including maypops (Passiflora incarnata), may apple (Podophyllum peltata), violets (Viola), purslane (Portulaca), stonecrop (Sedum), and moonseed (Menispermum). The adult feed on nectar from several plant species including butterflyweed, common milkweed, dogbane, peppermint, red clover, swamp milkweed, and tickseed sunflower. Habitat: Open sunny areas such as prairies, fields, pastures, road edges, landfills.
I found several of these near the Medina River in the open fields. They were more concerned with sunning at the moment since it was nearing sundown.
Spotted on Oct 28, 2012
Submitted on Oct 29, 2012
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