Mangrove (Phocides pigmalion [Cramer])
Wing span: 1 7/8 - 2 3/4 inches (4.8 - 7 cm).
Identification: Wings are brown-black; hindwing has iridescent blue streaks both above and below.
Life history: Flight is fast and powerful. Males perch to seek females, who deposit eggs singly on the host plant. Caterpillars eat leaves and live in shelters of silked-together leaves.
Flight: November-August in southern Florida.
Caterpillar hosts: American mangrove (Rhizophora mangle).
Adult food: Nectar including that of mangrove, shepherd's needle, citrus, and bougainvillaea flowers.
Habitat: Coastal mangrove thickets and openings.
Range: Both coasts of peninsular Florida and the Keys south through the West Indies and Mexico to Argentina. Strayed to coastal South Carolina.
