Dingy Purplewing - Hodges#4532
Eunica monima
This record describes Eunica monima (species). Recorded family: Nymphalidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Purplish above with white spots on front wing, but not all pale spots white (some cloudy). Tip of front wings slightly truncated but not notched. Underside dull brownish and grayish (fresh specimens often tinged bluish) and leaf-like in appearance, with indistinct eye-spots in two offset groups, not in a continuous curved row.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Papilionoidea
- Family
- Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
- Subfamily
- Biblidinae
- Tribe
- Catonephelini
- Genus
- Eunica (Purplewings)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
s. FL, s. TX, and se AZ (1x) / Mex. to Venezuela / W. Indies (MPG, BOA)
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae are recorded on Bursera (Burseraceae) in order Sapindales. Most other Eunica species (where known) feed on member of the unrelated family Euphorbiaceae.
Life History
The very slender brownish to greenish gregarious larvae are unusual among Biblidinae (including among Eunica ) in almost totally lacking prominent body and head spines. The spines that are present being reduced to short protuberances. The African genus Sevenia (sometimes included within Eunica ) has similar larvae. Life History photos - by Alan Chin-Lee, 2007
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Eunica monima (Stoll, 1782)
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Eunica monima. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Dingy Purplewing - Hodges#4532 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Alan Chin Lee; Additional contributions by Steve Nanz , Mike Quinn , David Ferguson
Frequently Asked Questions About Dingy Purplewing - Hodges#4532
What is Dingy Purplewing - Hodges#4532?
Dingy Purplewing - Hodges#4532 (Eunica monima) is a species in the family Nymphalidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How do you identify Dingy Purplewing - Hodges#4532?
Purplish above with white spots on front wing, but not all pale spots white (some cloudy). Tip of front wings slightly truncated but not notched. Underside dull brownish and grayish (fresh specimens often tinged bluish) and leaf-like in appearance, with indistinct eye-spots in two offset groups, not in a continuous curved row.
Where is Dingy Purplewing - Hodges#4532 found?
Range: s. FL, s. TX, and se AZ (1x) / Mex. to Venezuela / W. Indies (MPG, BOA)
What does Dingy Purplewing - Hodges#4532 eat?
The diet of the Dingy Purplewing - Hodges#4532 includes Larvae are recorded on Bursera (Burseraceae) in order Sapindales. Most other Eunica species (where known) feed on member of the unrelated family Euphorbiaceae..
What is the life cycle of a Dingy Purplewing - Hodges#4532?
The very slender brownish to greenish gregarious larvae are unusual among Biblidinae (including among Eunica ) in almost totally lacking prominent body and head spines. The spines that are present being reduced to short protuberances. The African genus Sevenia (sometimes included within Eunica ) has similar larvae. Life History photos - by Alan Chin-Lee, 2007