North American Butterflies and Moths List

The definitive website on wildbirds & nature




The Registry of Nature Habitats

U.S. Geological Survey


Butterflies of North America

Butterflies of Kansas

Tiger Mimic-Queen (Lycorea cleobaea)

Tiger Mimic-Queen (Lycorea cleobaea [Godart])

Wing span: 3 3/4 - 4 1/4 inches (9.5 - 10.8 cm).

Identification: Large. Orange with black horizontal stripes; stripes on hindwing join to form a loop. Tip of male abdomen has black hair pencils (scent brushes).

Life history: Males perch in the morning to await receptive females. Around noon, females lay eggs singly on the underside of host leaves, usually depositing several eggs on the same plant. Caterpillars eat leaves.

Flight: April, July, and October in South Texas; all year in the tropics.

Caterpillar hosts: Papaya, fig, bloodflower, Jacartia.

Adult food: Bird droppings.

Habitat: Tropical forests.

Range: Tropical American lowlands from the West Indies and central Mexico south to Peru. Strays to South Texas.

Conservation: Not required for rare stray.

The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.

Management needs: None reported.

References:


DeVries, P. J. 1987. The butterflies of Costa Rica and their natural history. 

     Papilionidae, Pieridae, Nymphalidae. Princeton University Press, Princeton, 

     New Jersey. 327 pages, 50 color plates.



Opler, P. A. and V. Malikul. 1992. A field guide to eastern butterflies. Peterson 

     field guide #4. Houghton-Mifflin Co., Boston. 396 pages, 48 color plates.



Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, 

     Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates.

Author: Jane M. Struttmann

State and Regional References:


Ely, C., Schwilling, M.D., and M.E. Rolfs. 1986. An Annotated List of the 

     Butterflies of Kansas. Fort Hays Studies (Science) 7,  Fort Hays State 

     University, Fort Hays, Kans.



Opler, Paul A. 1999. Peterson Field Guide to Western Butterflies, revised 

     edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.



Stanford, R.E. and P.A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of Western USA Butterflies. 

     Privately published, Denver, Colo.



Tilden, J.W. and A.C. Smith. 1986. A Field Guide to Western Butterflies. 

     Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.

Tiger Mimic-Queen (Lycorea cleobaea)
distribution map
map legend

Disclaimer
Return to species list
Return to Butterflies of North America main page