Mexican Sister (Adelpha fessonia [Hewitson])
Wing span: 2 3/16 - 2 3/4 inches (5.6 - 7 cm).
Identification: Upperside is dark brown with an orange forewing apex. White median band across both wings reaches the forewing leading edge.
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-April and July-December in Texas, March-November in Mexico and Central America, perhaps all year in Costa Rica.
Caterpillar hosts: Hackberry Celtis lindheimeri in Texas.
Adult food: Nectar from flowers such as Cordia, Croton, and Baccharis; decaying fruit.
Habitat: Forest edges and trails near streams.
Range: Panama north through Central America to Mexico. A periodic resident in the lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas.
