Gardeners in the semitropical area of the Rio Grande Valley have an excellent opportunity for attracting some of the rarest and most beautiful species of butterflies to be found in the state. Not only are there species that are permanent Texas residents only in the Valley area but there are some even less common species that come into South Texas from Mexico and Central and South America and will, under favorable conditions, remain and breed, often for several years in a row. This northward movement, added to the already abundant species consistently breeding here, gives this region the highest number of total species of any area in the state—almost three hundred.
There are probably several environmental factors that determine the residence and breeding status of these uncommon butterflies, but two of the most important are the occasional periods of freezing temperatures and the scarcity of larval food plants. A severe freeze may completely eliminate a population of these exotic species of butterflies, and other than providing protection through the planting of windbreaks, providing plenty of “hiding” places, and protecting both the larval and flowering plants, there is little that can be done to prevent the extermination of the butterflies during this time.
Many of the larval food plants for these more uncommon species of butterflies are native and have been almost entirely eliminated from the Valley area through clearing practices for the raising of food crops. In a few instances, they may never have been abundant members of the Valley flora. This shortage of food plants limits the range, distribution patterns, and number of individuals coming into the area, and females may not be able to locate a plentiful supply of the appropriate food plants on which to lay their eggs. Only in areas where an adequate source of the larval food plants are available will there ever be a chance of a colony becoming well established. By incorporating the necessary food plants in home gardens, the chances of getting colonies of these “special” butterflies to remain and breed are greatly increased.
THE NECTAR OF THE BRIGHT RED FLOWER CLUSTERS OF SHRIMP PLANT (Justicia brandegeana) WILL ATTRACT BUTTERFLIES TO THE GARDEN.
Very few of the needed plants are going to be readily available at nurseries, so the best method of obtaining many of the plants listed here will be through gathering seeds, taking cuttings from native plants, or haunting native plant sales. Special orders for some of the nonnatives can be placed through local nurseries. Visit the local chambers of commerce, and get names and phone numbers of local nature, birding, and garden clubs to find sources and methods of obtaining needed plants.
The information given here is in no way the “final word” on the butterflies to be found in the Rio Grande Valley. Each year as more naturalists and researchers become interested and involved in the butterflies in this region, new species are continually being added. And, as with all such work, the more that is learned about the distribution, habitats, and life cycles of a wildlife species, the status of their abundance is continually changed and updated. Take this then as a guideline—to be subtracted from and added to while more research is completed on these uncommon species.
The following list has been compiled from current literature, communications, and personal observations in the field. The butterflies listed are those that, at the present time, are known to breed only in the southernmost portion of the state, and only if their food plant is known. Many other species of butterflies stray or wander into the Valley area and perhaps breed there, but at present, their food plants are not known, so these species are not listed.
The abbreviation “spp.” following a plant genus in this list indicates that there are more than one species of that genus occurring in the Valley, and the butterflies are known to or will probably use all or several of them.
| Butterfly | Food plant |
| Aguna, Emerald (Aguna claxon) | Mexican Orchid Tree (Bauhinia mexicana) |
| Aguna, Gold-spotted (Aguna asunder) | Mexican Orchid Tree (Bauhinia mexicana) |
| Aguna, Tailed (Aguna metophis) | Mexican Orchid Tree (Bauhinia mexicana) |
| Angled-Sulphur, Yellow (Anteos maerula) | Senna (Senna spp.) |
| Astraptes, Flashing (Astraptes fulgerator) | Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus) Coyotillo (Karwinskia humboldtiana) |
| Banner, Common (Epiphile adrasta) | Common Balloon-vine (Cardiospermum halicacabum) Little-fruit Supplejack (Serjania brachycarpa) Urvillea (Urvillea ulmacea) |
| Bluewing, Mexican (Myscelia ethusa) | Vasey Adelia (Adelia vaseyi) |
| Cracker, Guatemalan (Hamadryas guatemalena) | Purple Wings (Dalechampia spp.) |
| Crescent, Pale-banded (Anthanassa tulcis) | Rio Grande Dicliptera (Dicliptera sexangularis) Runyon’s Ruellia (Ruellia nudiflora var. runyonii) Water-willow (Justicia spp.) |
| Daggerwing, Many-banded (Marpensia chiron) | Common Fig (Ficus carica) |
| Daggerwing, Ruddy (Marpesia petreus) | Common Fig (Ficus carica) |
| Emperor, Pavon (Doxocopa pavon) | Spiny Hackberry (Celtis pallida) |
| Emperor, Silver (Doxocopa laure) | Spiny Hackberry (Celtis pallida) |
| Flasher, Frosted (Astraptes alardus) | Coral Bean (Erythrina herbacea) |
| Flasher, Gilbert’s (Astraptes alector) | Mexican Orchid Tree (Bauhinia mexicana) |
| Flasher, Two-barred (Astraptes fulgerator azul) | Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus) Coyotillo (Karwinskia humboldtiana) |
| Fritillary, Mexican (Euptoieta hegesia merediana) | Hierba del Venado (Turnera diffusa) Red-fruited Passionflower (Passiflora foetida) |
| Giant-Skipper, Manfreda (Stallingsia maculosus) | Manfreda (Manfreda spp.) |
| Greenstreak, Clench’s (Cyanophrys miserabilis) | Retama (Parkinsonia aculeata) |
| Greenstreak, Goodson’s (Cyanophrys goodsoni) | Pigeonberry (Rivina humilis) |
| Greenstreak, Tropical (Cyanophrys herodotus) | Climbing Hempweed (Mikania scandens) West Indian Lantana (Lantana camara) |
| Hairstreak, Aquamarine (Oenomaus ortygnus) | Soursop (Annona globiflora) |
| Hairstreak, Red-spotted (Tmolus echion) | West Indian Lantana (Lantana camara) |
| Hairstreak, Strophius (Allosmaitia strophius) | Barbados Cherry (Malpighia glabra) |
| Leafwing, Angled (Memphis glycerium) | Croton (Croton spp.) |
| Leafwing, Pale-spotted (Memphis pithyusa) | Croton (Croton spp.) |
| Longtail, Brown (Urbanus procne) | Common Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon) Guinea Grass (Panicum maximum) Johnson Grass (Sorghum halepense) Rye Grass (Lolium perenne) St. Augustine Grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) |
| Longtail, Mottled (Typhedanus undulatus) | Argentina Senna (Senna corymbosa) Christmas Senna (S. pendula) Coffee Senna (S. occidentalis) |
| Longtail, Teleus (Urbanus teleus) | Fringe-leaf Paspalum (Paspalum setaceum var. ciliatifolia) Guinea Grass (Panicum maximum) |
| Longwing, Banded Orange (Dryadula phaetusa) | Passionflower (Passiflora spp.) |
| Longwing, Crimson-patched (Heliconius erato petiverana) | Passionflower (Passiflora spp.) |
| Longwing, Isabella’s (Eueides isabella) | Passionflower (Passiflora spp.) |
| Malachite (Siproeta stelenes biplagiata) | Lance-leaved Water-willow (Justicia ovata var. lanceolata) Runyon’s Ruellia (Ruellia nudiflora var. runyonii) Runyon’s Water-willow (J. runyonii) Shrimp Plant, Green (Blechum pyramidatum) |
| Mellana, Common (Quasimellana eulogius) | Guinea Grass (Panicum maximum) |
| Metalmark, Blue (Lasaia sula) | Screwbean Mesquite (Prosopis reptans) |
| Metalmark, Curve-winged (Emesis emesia) | Mexican Bird-of-Paradise (Caesalpinia mexicana) |
| Metalmark, Falcate (Emesis tenedia) | Drummond’s Virgin’s Bower (Clematis drummondii) |
| Mimic-queen, Tiger (Lycorea cleobaea) | Common Fig (Ficus carica) Papaya (Carica papaya) |
| Patch, Banded (Chlosyne endeis pardelina) | Small-flowered Carlowrightia (Carlowrightia parviflora) |
| Patch, Rosita (Chlosyne rosita) | Dicliptera (Dicliptera sexangularis) Downy Water-willow (Justicia pilosella) |
| Peacock, Banded (Anartia fatima) | Lance-leaved Water-willow (Justicia ovata var. lanceolata) Rio Grande Dicliptera (Dicliptera sexangularis) Runyon’s Water-willow (J. runyonii) Ruellia (Ruellia spp.) |
| Pellicia, Glazed (Pellicia arina) | Little-fruit Supplejack (Serjania brachycarpa) |
| Pixie, Red-bordered (Melanis pixe) | Guamúchil, Monkeypod (Pithecellobium dulce) |
| Purplewing, Dingy (Eunica monima) | Lime Prickly-ash (Zanthoxylum fagara) |
| Sailor, Blue-eyed (Dynamine dyonis) | Catnip Noseburn (Tragia ramosa) |
| Scrub-Hairstreak, Lantana (Strymon bazochii) | West Indian Lantana (Lantana camara) Scented Lippia (Lippia graveolens) White-flowered Lippia (L. alba) |
| Scrub-Hairstreak, Red-crescent (Strymon rufofusca) | Bladder-mallow (Herissantia crispa) Three-lobe False-mallow (Malvastrum coromandelianum) |
| Scrub-Hairstreak, Red-lined (Strymon bebrychia) | Common Balloon-vine (Cardiospermum halicacabum) |
| Scrub-Hairstreak, White (Strymon albata) | Texas Abutilon (Abutilon fruticosum) Wright’s Abutilon (A. wrightii) |
| Scrub-Hairstreak, Yojoa (Strymon yojoa) | Heart-leaf Hibiscus (Hibiscus martianus) |
| Silverdrop, Broken (Epargyreus exadeus) | Senna (Senna spp.) |
| Silverspot, Mexican (Dione moneta poeyi) | Corky-stemmed Passionflower (Passiflora suberosa) |
| Sister, Band-celled (Adelpha fessonia) | Crucillo (Randia rhagocarpa) |
| Skipper, Brown-banded (Timochares ruptifasciatus) | Barbados Cherry (Malpighia glabra) |
| Skipper, Double-dotted (Decinea percosius) | Common Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon) Cut Grass (Leersia spp.) Rye Grass (Lolium perenne) St. Augustine Grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) |
| Skipper, Falcate (Spathilepia clonius) | Purple Bush-bean (Macroptilium atropurpureum) |
| Skipper, Fawn-spotted (Cymaenes odilia) | Guinea Grass (Panicum maximum) Paspalum (Paspalum spp.) |
| Skipper, Glassy-winged (Xenophanes tryxus) | Drummond’s Wax-mallow (Malvaviscus drummondii) Malva de Caballo (Malachra capitata) |
| Skipper, Guava (Phocides polybius lilea) | Guava (Psidium guajava) Strawberry Guava (P. cattlelanum) |
| Skipper, Hermit (Grais stigmatica) | Jopoy (Esenbeckia berlandieri) |
| Skipper, Malicious (Synapte malitiosa) | Guinea Grass (Panicum maximum) |
| Skipper, Mercurial (Proteides mercurius) | Least Snoutbean (Rhynchosia minima) Wild Cow-pea (Vigna luteola) |
| Skipper, Mimosa (Cogia calchas) | Black Mimosa (Mimosa pigra) |
| Skipper, Olive-clouded (Lerodea arabus) | Common Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon) |
| Skipper, Pale-rayed (Vidius perigenes) | Bristle Grass (Setaria spp.) St. Augustine Grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) |
| Skipper, Potrillo (Cabares potrillo) | Common Velvet-bur (Priva lappulacea) |
| Skipper, Purple-washed (Panoquina lucas) | Guinea Grass (Panicum maximum) Sugar Cane (Saccharum officinarum) |
| Skipper, Purplish-black (Nisoniades rubescens) | Sharp-pod Morning Glory (Ipomoea cordatotriloba) |
| Skipper, Starred (Arteurotia tractipennis tractipennis) | Croton (Croton spp.) |
| Skipper, Violet-banded (Nyctelius nyctelius) | Guinea Grass (Panicum maximum) Sugar Cane (Saccharum officinarum) |
| Skipper, Violet-patched (Monca crispinus) | Paspalum (Paspalum spp.) |
| Soldier (Danaus eresimus) | Beaked Cynanchum (Cynanchum barbigerum) Climbing Milkweed Vine (Funastrum cynanchoides) |
| Stripe-streak, Creamy (Arawacus jada) | Blue Potato Bush (Solanum rantonnatii) |
| Sulphur, Statira (Aphrissa statira) | Coin-vine (Dalbergia ecastophyllum) Senna (Senna spp.) |
| Sulphur, Yellow-angled (Anteos maerula) | Senna (Senna spp.) |
| Swallowtail, Broad-banded (Papilio astyalus) | Lemon (Citrus limon) Lime (C. aurantifolia) |
| Swallowtail, Ornythion (Papilio ornythion) | Lime Prickly-ash (Zanthoxylum fagara) |
| Swallowtail, Ruby-spotted (Papilio anchisiades) | Lemon (Citrus limon) |
| Swallowtail, Thoas (Papilio thoas) | Lime Prickly-ash (Zanthoxylum fagara) Lemon (Citrus limon) |
| White, Giant (Ganyra josephina) | Downy Caper (Capparis incana) Jamaican Caper (C. cynophallophora) |
| White-Skipper, Turk’s-cap (Heliopetes macaira) | Amantillo (Abutilon trisulcatum) Bladder-mallow (Herissantia crispa) Drummond’s Wax-mallow (Malvaviscus drummondii) |
| Yellow, Barred (Eurema daira) | Sticky Joint-vetch (Aeschynomene viscidula) |
| Yellow, Boisduval’s (Eurema boisduvaliana) | Christmas Senna (Senna pendula) Lindheimer’s Senna (S. lindheimeriana) |
| Yellow, Dina (Pyrisitia dina) | Bitterbush (Picramnia pentandra) Goat Bush (Castela erecta) |
SPECIAL SOUTH TEXAS GARDEN
Brownsville, Harlingen, McAllen, Rio Grande City
(L) denotes larval food plant (N) denotes nectar plant
Trees
Anacahuita (N) (Cordia boissieri)
Chaste tree (N) (Vitex agnus-castus)
Desert Willow (N) (Chilopsis linearis)
Guamúchil, Monkeypod (L) (Pithecellobium dulce)
Mexican Orchid Tree (L) (N) (Bauhinia mexicana)
Orange/Lime (L) (N) (Citrus spp.)
Shrubs
Argentina Senna (L) (Senna corymbosa)
Barbados Cherry (L) (Malpighia glabra)
Bougainvillea (N) (Bougainvillea glabra)
Buttonbush (N) (Cephalanthus spp.)
Candle-stick Senna (L) (Senna alata)
Carlowrightia (L) (Carlowrightia spp.)
Cenizo (L) (Leucophyllum frutescens)
Christmas Senna (L) (Senna pendula)
Coral Bean (L) (Erythrina herbacea)
Coyotillo (L) (Karwinskia humboldtiana)
Crucita (N) (Chromolaena odorata)
Drummond’s Wax-mallow (L) (N) Malvaviscus drummondii)
Flame Acanthus (L) (N) (Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii)
Guayacan (L) (Guajacum angustifolium)
Jopoy (L) (Esenbeckia berlandieri)
Lime Prickly-ash (L) (Zanthoxxylum fagara)
Lippia (L) (N) (Lippia spp.)
Vasey Adelia (L) (Adelia vaseyi)
Vine Mimosa, Softleaf Mimosa (L) (N) (Mimosa malacophylla)
Vines (on trellis/fence)
Climbing Hempweed (L) (N) (Mikania scandens)
Climbing Milkweed Vine (L) (N) (Funastrum cynanchoides)
Drummond’s Virgin’s Bower (L) (Clematis drummondii)
Least Snout-bean (L) (Rhynchosia minima)
Little-fruit Supplejack (L) (Serjania brachycarpa)
Mexican Flame Vine (N) (Pseudogynoxys chenopodioides)
Morning Glory (L) (N) (Ipomoea spp.)
Queen’s Wreath (N)
(Antigonon leptopus)Redfruited Passionflower (L) (Passiflora foetida)
Shrubby Blue Sage (N) (Salvia ballotiflora)
Snapdragon Vine (L) (Maurandya antirrhiniflora)
Tropical Balloon-vine (L) (Cardiospermum corundum)
Tall Herbs (3–5 feet)
Argentina Verbena (N) (Verbena bonariensis)
Croton (L) (Croton spp.)
Golden Crownbeard (L) (N) (Verbesina enceloides)
Frostweed (L) (N) (Verbesina spp.)
Goldenrod (N)
(Solidago spp.)
Lindheimer’s Senna (L)
(Senna lindheimeriana)
Mexican Sunflower (L) (N) (Tithonia rotundifolia)
Purple Marsh-fleabane (N) (Pluchea odorata)
White-flowered Plumbago (L) (N) (Plumbago scandens)
Medium Herbs (2–3 feet)
Awnless Bush-sunflower (N) (Simsia calva)
Betony-leaf Mistflower (N) (Conoclinium betonicifolium)
Croton (L) (Croton spp.)
Heath Aster (L) (N) (Symphyotrichum ericoides)
Liatris (N) (Liatris spp)
Mexican Oregano (N) (Poliomintha longiflora)
Pentas (N) (Pentas lanceolata)
Pigeonberry (L) (N) (Rivina humilis)
Rio Grande Dicliptera (L) (Dicliptera sexangularis)
Shrimp Plant (L) (Justicia brandegeana)
Skeleton-leaf Goldeneye (N) (Viguiera stenoloba)
Three-lobe False-mallow (L) (Malvastrum coromandelianum)
Tropical Milkweed (L) (N) (Asclepias curassavica)
Tropical Sage (N) (Salvia coccinea)
Low Herbs (1–2 feet)
Hispid Wedelia (L) (N) (Wedelia acapulcensis var. hispida)
Gregg’s Keelpod (N) (Synthlipsis greggii)
Huisache Daisy (N) (Amblyolepis setigera)
Gregg’s Mistflower (N) (Conoclinium dissectum)
Runyon’s Water-willow (L) (Justicia runyonii)
Texas Abutilon (L) (Abutilon fruticosa)
Trailing Lantana (L) (N) (Lantan montevidensis)
Edging (to 1 foot)
Bristle-leaf Dyssodia (L) (N) (Dyssodia tenuiloba)
Common Dogweed (L) (N) (Thymophylla pentachaeta)
Desert Zinnia (N) (Zinnia acerosa)
Frogfruit (L) (N) (Phyla spp.)
Lindheimer’s Tephrosia (L) (Tephrosia lindheimeri)
Powderpuff (L) (Mimosa strigillosa)
Prairie Verbena (L) (N) (Glandularia bipinnatifida)
Scarlet Pea (L) (Indigofera miniata)
Texas Stonecrop (L) (Lenophyllum texanum)
Upright Pipevine (L) (Aristolochia erecta)
Flagstone
Decomposed Granite
Turf
THEONA CHECKERSPOT (Chlosyne theona)