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| Morelos, Mexico, June 1979 form luteocinta (males) Leg: Escalante | Morelos, Mexico, June 1979 (males) Leg: Escalante |
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| Morelos, Mexico, June 1979 form ? female Leg: Escalante | Morelos, Mexico, May 1918 form phronea female Leg: Porter |
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| Morelos, Mexico, May 1918 form eusemna female Leg: Porter |
Perhaps the most primitive butterfly known; similar
species are present in the fossil record. Restricted to the Sierra Madre
del Sur in southwest Mexico, it is quite local but often abundant when
found. Territorial, found in Acacia thickets (it's larval foodplant) at
moderate elevations. Apparently single-brooded, adults emerge after the
first rains in the spring bring foliage to their deciduous foodplant. Several
variations in adult coloration exist, a few of the more frequently encountered
are shown.