North American Butterflies and Moths List

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Butterflies of North America

Butterflies of Texas

Costa-spotted Mimic-White (Enantia albania (=melite))

Costa-spotted Mimic-White (Enantia albania)

Wing span: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 3 cm).

Identification: Small; forewing smaller than hindwing. Upperside of male yellow; female pale yellow to white with black at apex and outer margin.

Life history: Not reported.

Flight: Long period in Mexico; September in south Texas.

Caterpillar hosts: Probably in pea family (Fabaceae).

Adult food: Flower nectar and bird droppings in forest understory.

Habitat: Low- to mid-elevation tropical forests, coffee plantations.

Range: Tropical Mexico; rare stray (only 2 records) to Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas.

Conservation: Not required for rare stray.

Management needs: None reported.

References:

DeVries, P. J. 1987. The butterflies of Costa Rica and their  natural 
     history. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New  Jersey. 327 
     pages, 50 color plates.

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.
     
Costa-spotted Mimic-White (Enantia albania (=melite))
distribution map
map legend

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