North American Butterflies and Moths List

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Butterflies of North America

Butterflies of Texas

Blue-eyed Sailor (Dynamine dyonis)
JPG -- species photo

Blue-eyed Sailor (Dynamine dyonis Geyer)

Wing span: 1 5/8 - 1 7/8 inches (4.1 - 4.8 cm).

Identification: Upperside of male is copper-green; female is black with white bands and patches. Underside of both sexes with 2 round, blue submarginal spots.

Life history: Eggs are laid singly on the leaves and stems of the host plant. Caterpillars eat leaves and rest underneath them.

Flight: May-November in Texas, March-November in Mexico.

Caterpillar hosts: Noseburn (Tragia neptifolia) and Dalechampia, both in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae).

Adult food: Nectar from various composite flowers.

Habitat: Tropical forest edges.

Range: Colombia north through Central America to central Mexico. Periodic stray and occasional resident to north-central Texas.

Conservation: Not required for periodic stray and occasional resident.

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:


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

     Papilionidae, Pieridae, Nymphalidae. 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.

     

Blue-eyed Sailor (Dynamine dyonis)
distribution map
map legend

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