Stallings' Flat (Celaenorrhinus stallingsi H. A. Freeman)
Wing span: 1 3/8 - 1 3/4 inches (3.5 - 4.5 cm).
Identification: Upperside is dark brown; forewing has a wide transparent band of spots. Fringes are brown. Underside of forewing is pale yellow in the lower corner.
Life history: Adults fly at dusk and sometimes at dawn. They rest in caves, under highway bridges, and under ledges and leaves during the day.
Flight: May-November in South Texas; March-November in Mexico.
Caterpillar hosts: Not reported.
Adult food: Nectar of flowers including that of papaya.
Habitat: Subtropical.
Range: Costa Rica north through Mexico. A periodic stray to the lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas.
Conservation: Status in the lower Rio Grande Valley should be determined.
The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might 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.
Author: Jane M. Struttmann
State and Regional References:
Neck, R.W. 1996. A Field Guide to Butterflies of Texas. Gulf Publishing Co., Houston, Texas. 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. Tveten, J. and Tveten, G. 1996. Butterflies of Houston & Southeast Texas. Univ. of Texas Press, Austin, TX. 292 pp.