Butterflies of Zihuatanejo

SUPERFAMILY PAPILIONOIDEA

-Barred Yellow (Eurema daira)

The Eurema daira, also known as the Barred Yellow, is a beautiful yellow butterfly found in tropical climates throughout Central and South America. It prefers to inhabit open areas with plenty of flowering plants, like gardens and meadows, where it feeds on the nectar from these flowers. The Barred Yellow is a relatively small butterfly that is easily recognizable due to its distinct yellow and black pattern on its wings. It is known for its active behaviors, flitting around from flower to flower and occasionally gathering in large groups.

Diet

Caterpillars: Feed primarily on legumes (Fabaceae), especially Senna and related cassia-type plants. Desmodium incanum is another documented host.
Adults: Feed on nectar from a variety of small flowering plants.

Range

Boisduval's Yellow occurs from Costa Rica north through Central America and Mexico, including both the Pacific and Gulf regions of Mexico.
Guerrero is within its range, and it occurs in suitable warm habitats in western Mexico. It can also occur around the Zihua area, particularly where its leguminous host plants grow.

Habitat

Found in subtropical forest, forest edges, tropical scrub, roadsides, pastures, and other sunny or partially disturbed habitats.
It generally favors warm areas supporting abundant flowering plants and its Senna and related host plants.

Description

A medium-sized yellow with a wingspan of approximately 38–51 mm.
The upper surface is lemon yellow, with black markings along the wing margins.
The hindwings are slightly pointed, a useful feature when distinguishing it from several other yellow butterflies in the same region.
Males have a relatively broad black hindwing border that projects into the yellow ground color. The forewing also has a relatively weak dark "dog's-head" pattern.
Females generally have a more conspicuous black forewing apex but a narrower black hindwing margin.
The underside is more subdued yellow to yellow-brown, with darker markings that provide useful identification clues when the butterfly is perched with its wings closed.