Glazed Pellicia (Pellicia arina Evans)
Wing span: 1 - 1 1/2 inches (2.5 - 3.8 cm).
Identification: Forewings are pointed. Wings are black; upperside has an iridescent purple sheen and faint mottling.
Life history: Not reported.
Flight: March-April and June-December in South Texas; July and October-February in Mexico and Central America.
Caterpillar hosts: Not reported.
Adult food: Probably flower nectar.
Habitat: Forest edges and trails.
Range: Panama north through Central America to northern Mexico. A periodic stray to the lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas.
Conservation: Not necessary for a periodic 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
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.