North American Butterflies and Moths List

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The Registry of Nature Habitats

U.S. Geological Survey


Butterflies of North America

Mylotes Cattle Heart (Parides eurimedes (=arcas))

Mylotes Cattle Heart (Parides eurimedes [Cramer])

Wing span: 3-3 ½ inches (7 - 8.5 cm.).

Identification: Male and female are primarily black with red patch on hindwing. Both sexes lack tails. Upper surface of male forewing has triangular blue-green patch, female has white patch.

Life history: Full-grown caterpillar is purple-brown with black patches. White band along sides. Chrysalis pale green with yellowish tinge.

Flight: March-November.

Caterpillar hosts: Pipevines (genus Aristolochia).

Adult food: Not reported.

Habitat: Tropical forests and associated edges and openings.

Range: Southern Mexico south into Central America. One stray reported from Texas, perhaps erroneously.

Conservation: None noted.

Management needs: None needed for tropical stray.

References:


Beutelspacher, C. R. 1984. Mariposas de Mexico Fasciculo I. La Prensa Medica 

     Mexicana, S. A. 171 pages, 20 color plates.



DeVries, P.J. 1987. The Butterflies of Costa Rica and their Natural History, 

     Vol. 1. Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J. 327 pages. 



Llorente-Bousquets, J.E., L. Onate-Ocana, A. Luis-Martinez, and I. Vargez-Fernandez. 

     1999. Papilionidae y Pieridae de Mexico: distribucion geografica e ilustracion.  

     Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, CONABIO, Mexico D.F., 226 pp.



Neck, R.W. 1996. A field guide to butterflies of Texas. Gulf Publishing Co., 

     Houston, Texas. 323 pp.



North American Butterfly Association. 1995. Checklist & English names of North 

     American butterflies. North American Butterfly Association, Morristown, 

     N.J. 43 pages.



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.



Tyler, H. A., K. S. Brown Jr. and K. H. Wilson. 1994. Swallowtail butterflies of 

     the Americas. Scientific Publishers, Inc., Gainesville. 376 pages, 100 color 

     plates.

Author: Paul A. Opler

Mylotes Cattle Heart (Parides eurimedes (=arcas))
distribution map
map legend

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