Mexican Dartwhite (Catasticta nimbice [Boisduval])
Wing span: 1 3/4 - 2 1/4 inches (4.5 - 5.7 cm).
Identification: Upperside cream-tan with thick black veins; wide black outer margins surrounding cream-colored spots.
Life history: Males perch and patrol for females. Caterpillars feed in groups. Pupae are found in groups on tree trunks and look like bird droppings.
Flights: All year in Mexico.
Caterpillar hosts: Parasitic mistletoes - Phoradendron velutinum in Costa Rica.
Adult food: Nectar from Fuscia, Lantana, and Senecio in Costa Rica.
Habitat: Semi-deciduous mountain forests, forest edges, streamsides
Range: Costa Rica north to Mexico. Rare stray to the Chisos Mountains of west Texas.
