Diet

• Adults feed on flower nectar and may also visit damp ground or other mineral-rich surfaces.

• The species belongs to the firetip group of skippers, many of which have larvae associated with woody plants.

Range

• Mysoria amra is principally a Mexican species, with a distribution extending through western and southern Mexico into Guatemala. A disjunct population is also recognized in Brazil.

• In western Mexico it occurs along the Pacific slope.

• It occurs in Guerrero and is found in the Zihua area.

Habitat

• The Blue-collared Firetip inhabits tropical and subtropical woodland, particularly seasonally dry forest, thornscrub and forest edges.

• It can occur in clearings and secondary vegetation, especially where flowering plants provide adult food.

• Adults are generally encountered close to vegetation and can be difficult to detect until they move, despite their striking coloration.

Description

• Mysoria amra is a medium-sized, robust firetip with dark blue-black wings and a conspicuous white fringe.

• The head and thorax are dark, with contrasting reddish markings along the sides, while the abdomen terminates in a reddish-orange tip.

• The upper wings have a deep blue or blue-black appearance, sometimes with a subtle metallic sheen. The hindwing margin is bordered by a pale to white fringe.

• The underside is darker and more strongly patterned, with a yellowish line along portions of the outer and costal margins of the hindwing.

• The species is extremely similar to Mysoria affinis, and the two have nearly overlapping distributions in western Mexico. Seasonal variation in wing shape and colour can make separation particularly difficult.