Red-bordered Metalmark Caria ino Godman & Salvin, 1886

Family: Riodinidae

Subfamily: Riodininae

Identification: Leading edge of forewing is arched in both sexes. Male upperside is dark brown with a postmedian line of metallic spots extending from leading edge of forewing. Female lighter. Underside of male checkered with red; female orange.

Wing Span: 3/4 - 1 inch (2 - 2.5 cm).

Life History: Adults rest by hanging from the underside of leaves. Eggs are laid singly on leaf petioles of host plants. Caterpillars eat leaves and live in a rolled-up leaf or in a nest of leaves tied together with silk. Older caterpillars hibernate, but do not survive freezing weather.

Flight: March-November in South Texas.

Caterpillar Hosts: Spiny hackberry (Celtis pallida) in the elm family.

Adult Food: Flower nectar.

Habitat: Subtropical thorn forest.

Range: South Texas south through Mexico to Costa Rica.

Conservation: Populations in the lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas should be conserved.

NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.

Management Needs: None reported.

Comments: NULL

BAMONA Shop

New April 2025 Earth Day Special Release Shirts!

Please donate!

We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.

Advertise with us!

Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.

Verified Sightings

Displaying 49 - 58 of 58 verified sightings

Filter by Region