Mexican Mellana (Quasimellana eulogius [Plötz])
Wing span: 1 1/16 - 1 1/4 inches (2.7 - 3.2 cm).
Identification: Male: Wings are yellow-orange; upperside of forewing has a brown-black border and a dark brown streak from the cell to the border; no stigma. Underside is tan-orange with a faint pale band of spots. Female: Upperside is dark brown with clear spots on forewing and no spots on the hindwing.
Life history: Not reported.
Flight: April-November in South Texas; all year in Mexico and Central America.
Caterpillar hosts: Not reported.
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Openings in subtropical thorn forest.
Range: Paraguay north through Central America to northern Mexico. A periodic stray to the lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas.
Conservation: Not required for a periodic 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:
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. Stanford, R. E. and P. A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of western USA butterflies including adjacent parts of Canada and Mexico. Denver and Fort Collins, CO.
Author: Jane M. Struttmann
State and Regional References:
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.