Florida Purplewing - Hodges#4533
Eunica tatila
This record describes Eunica tatila (species). Recorded family: Nymphalidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Purplish above with white spots on front wing and the tip of the front wing notched. The underside is dull brownish, usually with some grayish to slightly bluish areas, and with row of eye-spots only slightly offset (almost in an even curved row), similar to a dried leaf in appearance. Type locality: Mexico
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. Florida, and straying north from Mexico into Texas and occasionally much further north (recorded from Kansas) / Mex to Argentina / W. Indies - Map (MPG)
Seasonal Activity
yr round in s. FL, summer and fall strays to s. TX (MPG)
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae have been recorded from Sebastiana & Gymnanthes (Euphorbiaceae), from Capara (Meliaceae in order Sapindales), and from Cordia (Boraginaceae). Most Eunica species (where known) feed on members of the family Euphorbiaceae. Larvae are greenish with dark long slender branching spines on body and a pair (tipped with a small club) on the head.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Eunica tatila. 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 Florida Purplewing - Hodges#4533 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Alan Chin Lee; Additional contributions by Steve Nanz , Mike Quinn , David Ferguson
Frequently Asked Questions About Florida Purplewing - Hodges#4533
What is Florida Purplewing - Hodges#4533?
Florida Purplewing - Hodges#4533 (Eunica tatila) is a species in the family Nymphalidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How do you identify Florida Purplewing - Hodges#4533?
Purplish above with white spots on front wing and the tip of the front wing notched. The underside is dull brownish, usually with some grayish to slightly bluish areas, and with row of eye-spots only slightly offset (almost in an even curved row), similar to a dried leaf in appearance.
Where is Florida Purplewing - Hodges#4533 found?
Range: s. Florida, and straying north from Mexico into Texas and occasionally much further north (recorded from Kansas) / Mex to Argentina / W. Indies - Map (MPG)
What does Florida Purplewing - Hodges#4533 eat?
The diet of the Florida Purplewing - Hodges#4533 includes Larvae have been recorded from Sebastiana & Gymnanthes (Euphorbiaceae), from Capara (Meliaceae in order Sapindales), and from Cordia (Boraginaceae). Most Eunica species (where known) feed on members of the family Euphorbiaceae. Larvae are greenish with dark long slender branching spines on body and a pair (tipped with a small club) on the head..
When is Florida Purplewing - Hodges#4533 active?
Florida Purplewing - Hodges#4533: seasonal activity - yr round in s. FL, summer and fall strays to s. TX (MPG).