Mexican yellow | |
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Male | |
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Female | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Pieridae |
Genus: | Eurema |
Species: | E. mexicana |
Binomial name | |
Eurema mexicana (Boisduval, 1836) | |
Synonyms | |
Eurema mexicana, the Mexican yellow, sometimes called the wolf-face sulphur, [2] is a North and South American butterfly in the family Pieridae. It occurs mainly in Mexico but occasionally is found in central and southwestern United States and rarely in Canada. [3]
The upperside of the wings is pale yellow with a black forewing submarginal border outlining a "dog" or "wolf-face" pattern. The hindwing has a small outer margin black border. The male has a bright yellow patch on the leading edge of the hindwing. The underside of the wings is pale yellow in summer individuals and pale yellow with reddish markings or all reddish pink in winter individuals. The hindwing is sharply pointed. [4] The wingspan measures 1+1⁄4 to 2+1⁄4 inches (32–57 mm). [5] [3]
Similar species in the Mexican yellow's range include Boisduval's yellow ( Eurema boisduvaliana ) and the Salome yellow ( Eurema salome ).
Boisduval's yellow is smaller and brighter yellow, the male has a weaker "dog face" pattern, the female has reduced black on the upper side, and the hindwing is less sharply pointed. [4]
The Salome yellow is brighter yellow, has more limited black on the upperside, and the underside of the hindwing has a round reddish spot near the trailing edge. [4]
The Mexican yellow lives in a variety of open habitats such as woodland edges, open woodlands, and desert grasslands. [2] [5] [6]
This butterfly may be seen almost all year in Arizona and Texas, and April to November in New Mexico. It strays northward in late summer, rarely reaching Canada. [2] [4] [5]
Males will patrol all day looking for females. [2] The larva is green with a middorsal creamy or yellow stripe and a lateral yellow stripe. [6] The Mexican yellow has 3-4 broods per year. [4]
Here is a list of host plants used by the Mexican yellow:
Eurema hecabe, the common grass yellow, is a small pierid butterfly species found in Asia, Africa and Australia. They are found flying close to the ground and are found in open grass and scrub habitats. It is simply known as "the grass yellow" in parts of its range; the general term otherwise refers to the entire genus Eurema.
The Zabulon skipper is a North American butterfly first described by the French naturalists Jean Baptiste Boisduval and John Eatton Le Conte from the state of Georgia, United States.
Colotis amata, the small salmon Arab, is a small butterfly of the family Pieridae, that is, the yellows and whites. It is found in Africa and Asia.
Eurema nicippe, the sleepy orange, is a North American butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is also found in the West Indies, Costa Rica and Belize.
Nathalis iole, the dainty sulphur or dwarf yellow, is a North American butterfly in the family Pieridae.
Callophrys gryneus, the juniper hairstreak or olive hairstreak, is a butterfly native to North America. It belongs in the family Lycaenidae.
Euptoieta claudia, the variegated fritillary, is a North and South American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Even though the variegated fritillary has some very different characteristics from the Speyeria fritillaries, it is still closely related to them. Some of the differences are: variegated fritillaries have two or three broods per year vs. one per year in Speyeria; they are nomadic vs. sedentary; and they use a wide range of host plants vs. just violets. And because of their use of passionflowers as a host plant, variegated fritillaries also have taxonomic links to the heliconians. Their flight is low and swift, but even when resting or nectaring, this species is extremely difficult to approach, and, because of this, its genus name was taken from the Greek word euptoietos meaning "easily scared".
Euptoieta hegesia, the Mexican fritillary, is a North and South American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.
Autochton cellus, the golden banded-skipper, is a North and Central American butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. There are two populations, one in the eastern United States and the other in the southwestern United States and Mexico. The eastern population is rare and local and uses only one host plant, the thicket bean. The southwestern population is uncommon to common and uses more than one host plant. The golden banded-skipper is most active mid-morning and late afternoon. Their flight is sluggish and low to the ground, compared to closely related species.
Ancyloxypha numitor, the least skipper, is a North American butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. They have a weak, Satyrinae-like flight.
Danaus eresimus, the soldier or tropical queen, is a North American, Caribbean, and South American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.
Eurema proterpia, the tailed orange, is a North and South American butterfly in the family Pieridae.
Chlosyne lacinia, the bordered patch or sunflower patch, is a North and South American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.
Callophrys henrici, the Henry's elfin or woodland elfin, is a North American butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. In Canada it is found from southern Manitoba to southern Nova Scotia. It has two main groups of populations in the United States; the first is found along the Atlantic Coast and uses various hollies (Ilex) as host plants; and the second is found mainly in the north and the Appalachians where they use redbud as a host plant. Henry's elfin is increasing in New England because of an introduced buckthorn it now uses as a host plant. It is listed as a species of special concern in the US state of Connecticut.
Kricogonia lyside, the lyside sulphur or guayacan sulphur, is a North American, Caribbean, and South American butterfly in the family Pieridae.
Chlorostrymon simaethis, the silver-banded hairstreak, is a North and South American butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is also known as St. Christopher's hairstreak and the Key lime hairstreak.
Speyeria callippe, the callippe fritillary, is a North American species of butterflies in the brush-footed family Nymphalidae.
Ochlodes sylvanoides, the woodland skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in North America from British Columbia south to southern California, east to Montana, Colorado and Arizona.
Eurema boisduvaliana, commonly known as Boisduval's yellow, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is found from Costa Rica north to Mexico. Rare strays may be found in southern Florida, but it is a regular migrant to south-eastern Arizona, south-western New Mexico, and southern Texas. The habitat consists of subtropical forests and forest edges, scrubs, roadsides and pastures.
Pyrisitia nise, the mimosa yellow, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is found from Argentina north to the Texas Gulf Coast and throughout central and southern Florida, northward to the Tennessee Valley. It is an occasional stray to central Texas and south-eastern Arizona and rarely to southern California, southern Colorado and Kansas. The habitat consists of brushy woodland edges.