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Fritzgaertner's Flat (Celaenorrhinus fritzgaertneri [Bailey])
Wing span: 1 5/8 - 1 15/16 inches (4.2 - 5 cm).
Identification: Upperside is brown; forewing has a white band. Underside of hindwing is mottled. Fringes are checkered.
Life history: Adults fly at dusk and sometimes at dawn. They rest in caves, under highway bridges, and under ledges and leaves during the day.
Flight: February-September in South Texas; through October in Mexico.
Caterpillar hosts: Not reported.
Adult food: Flower nectar including that of papaya.
Habitat: Subtropical.
Range: Costa Rica north through Mexico. A periodic stray to South Texas and rarely to southern Arizona.
Conservation: Not necessary for a rare 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
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