Dull Firetip (Pyrrhopyge araxes [Hewitson])
Wing span: 1 3/4 - 2 1/4 inches (4.5 - 5.7 cm).
Identification: Upperside is dark brown; forewing with large white patches, hindwing with scalloped outer margin. Underside of forewing is the same as the upperside, and has orange at the wing base. Underside of hindwing is mostly orange with a dark border and blurry dark markings.
Life history: Adults are fast, strong fliers. They bask with their wings held open. The caterpillar eats leaves and lives in the shelter of a folded leaf.
Flight: Several broods from June-November, most common in September.
Caterpillar hosts: Arizona oak (Quercus arizonica), Emory Oak (Q. emoryi), and Mexican blue oak (Q. oblongifolia)
Adult food: Nectar from flowers including Monarda and Baccharis.
Habitat: Open oak woodland, roadsides, streamsides, forest trails and edges.
Range: Southern Arizona, west Texas, Mexico.
