Angled Leafwing (Anaea glycerium [Doubleday])
Wing span: 2 5/16 - 3 3/16 inches (5.9 - 8.1 cm).
Identification: Upperside orange. Tip of forewing is pointed; outer margin is irregular and indented. Hindwing is concave between vein ends. Underside resembles a dead leaf.
Life history: Flight is swift and strong. Males perch to watch for females. Young caterpillars make a perch from a leaf midvein, older ones live in the shelter of a rolled leaf.
Flight: Wet season form flies from June-September; dry season form in October. Flies in July in South Texas.
Caterpillar hosts: Croton jalapensis in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae).
Adult food: Sap and rotting fruit.
Habitat: Disturbed subtropical forests and edges.
Range: Northern South America north through Central America to Mexico. Strays to South Texas.
Conservation: Not required for a rare tropical 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.
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