Spot-celled Sister (Adelpha basiloides [Bates])
Wing span: 2 1/4 - 2 5/8 inches (5.7 - 6.7 cm).
Identification: Upperside is black with a small orange patch at the forewing apex; median white band across both wings does not reach the leading edge of the forewing.
Life history: Males perch in light gaps, along forest edges, or in the canopy. Females lay eggs singly on leaves of host plants in light gaps and forest edges.
Flight: March-November in Mexico, all year in Central America.
Caterpillar hosts: Shrubs in the madder family (Rubiaceae) including Alibertia, Faramea, and Ixora.
Adult food: Decaying fruit, dung.
Habitat: Lowland tropical forests with a definite dry season.
Range: Panama north through Central America to Mexico. A rare stray (once) to the lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas.
