North American Butterflies and Moths List

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Butterflies of North America

Butterflies of New Mexico

Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia)
JPG -- species photo

Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia [Geyer])

Wing span: 1 3/8 - 2 inches (3.5 - 5.1 cm).

Identification: Variable. Upperside is black with a very wide orange or cream median band and small orange or white postmedian spots. Underside of hindwing is black with a yellow to cream-colored median band, small white postmedian spots, and large cream-colored marginal spots. Red spot near abdomen is usually separate from the median band.

Life history: During the day, males patrol around host plants or patrol and perch on hillsides in search of females. Eggs are laid in large groups on the underside of host plant leaves. Young caterpillars are gregarious and eat the underside of leaves; older caterpillars are solitary and eat leaves and stems. Third-stage caterpillars hibernate, and they may also go into diapause during the summer.

Flight: Many broods in California from March-October, throughout the year in South Texas.

Caterpillar hosts: Plants in the sunflower family including sunflowers (Helianthus), ragweed (Ambrosia trifida), crownbeard (Verbesina), and cockleburs (Xanthium).

Adult food: Flower nectar.

Habitat: Pinyon or oak woodlands, thorn forest, desert hills, fields, road edges, fencerows.

Range: Argentina north through Mexico to Texas and southeastern New Mexico, west through Arizona to southern California, north to southeastern Nevada. Casual migrant to Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas; rarely to western Missouri.

Conservation: Not usually required.

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 G. O. Krizek. 1984. Butterflies east of the Great Plains. Johns 

     Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 294 pages, 54 color plates.



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

     Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates.



Tilden, J. W. 1986. A field guide to western butterflies. Houghton-Mifflin Co., 

     Boston, Mass. 370 pages, 23 color plates.

Author: Jane M. Struttmann

State and Regional References:


Ferris, C.D. and F.M. Brown. 1980. Butterflies of the Rocky Mountain States. 

     University of Oklahoma Press. Norman.



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.



Add Toliver, M., Holland, R., and S.J. Cary. 1996. Distributional data

     for New Mexico Butterflies. Privately published. Albuquerque, N.M.

Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia)
distribution map
map legend

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