North American Butterflies and Moths List

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Butterflies of North America

Butterflies of Texas

Mexican Dartwhite (Catasticta nimbice)
JPG -- species photo

Mexican Dartwhite (Catasticta nimbice [Boisduval])

Wing span: 1 3/4 - 2 1/4 inches (4.5 - 5.7 cm).

Identification: Upperside cream-tan with thick black veins; wide black outer margins surrounding cream-colored spots.

Life history: Males perch and patrol for females. Caterpillars feed in groups. Pupae are found in groups on tree trunks and look like bird droppings.

Flights: All year in Mexico.

Caterpillar hosts: Parasitic mistletoes - Phoradendron velutinum in Costa Rica.

Adult food: Nectar from Fuscia, Lantana, and Senecio in Costa Rica.

Habitat: Semi-deciduous mountain forests, forest edges, streamsides

Range: Costa Rica north to Mexico. Rare stray to the Chisos Mountains of west Texas

Conservation: No recommendations.

Management needs: Not required for rare stray.

The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.

References:


de la Maza Ramirez, R. 1991. Mariposas Mexicanas. Fondo de Cultura 

     Economica, S. A. de C. V. 302 pages, 67 color plates.



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

     history. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New  Jersey. 327 

     pages, 50 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.

     

Mexican Dartwhite (Catasticta nimbice)
distribution map
map legend

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