Diet

• Adults: Feed primarily on flower nectar, visiting small flowering plants and shrubs. A documented observation from Nicaragua records an adult nectaring on an Asteraceae flower.

• Like other Riodinidae, adults may also obtain moisture and minerals from damp surfaces and other nutrient-rich sources.

Range

• Anteros carausius is a Neotropical metalmark butterfly occurring from Mexico through Central America and into northern South America, with records extending as far south as Bolivia.

• Around Zihua, Anteros carausius would likely be considered occasional to locally uncommon, particularly in suitable tropical deciduous forest and forest-edge habitat.

Habitat

• The Carousing Anteros is associated with tropical forest, tropical dry forest, woodland and forest-edge habitats.

• In Oaxaca, A. carausius was among the more abundant Riodinidae recorded in tropical subdeciduous forest, particularly within the 380–1,100 m elevation range.

• Around Zihua, suitable habitat includes tropical deciduous forest, forest edges, sunny clearings, dry hillsides, stream corridors and areas of secondary vegetation.

• Adults may be found resting on the undersides of leaves, a characteristic behaviour reported for the genus Anteros.

Size

• Anteros carausius is a small to medium-sized metalmark butterfly, generally with a wingspan of approximately 30–40 mm.

• The upper surface is predominantly dark brown to black, with contrasting yellowish or orange-yellow markings.

• The underside is particularly distinctive, with a pale yellowish background decorated with small brown or black-bordered spots containing metallic-looking centres, a characteristic feature of the genus.