Diet

• It belongs to the hairstreak subfamily Theclinae, whose caterpillars generally feed on a variety of broad-leaved plants and are often associated with ant attendance.

• Adults visit flowers for nectar and may also obtain nutrients from damp ground, rotting fruit and other organic material.

Range

• Tmolus echion is a widely distributed Neotropical hairstreak occurring from the southern United States and Mexico through Central America and into northern South America.

• It occurs along both the Pacific and Caribbean sides of Mexico, including Guerrero, and is present in the Zihua region.

Habitat

• It inhabits tropical dry forest, thorn scrub, woodland edges, clearings, gardens and secondary vegetation.

• In the Zihua region, suitable habitat includes tropical dry forest, coastal scrub, open woodland and disturbed vegetation in the lowlands.

• Adults are often encountered in sunny clearings and along forest edges, where they perch on leaves and low vegetation.

Description

• A small hairstreak with a wingspan generally around 25–32 mm and the compact appearance typical of the genus Tmolus.

• The upper surface is predominantly brown to dark grey-brown, with variable iridescent blue or violet scaling, particularly toward the bases of the wings.

• The underside is grey to brownish grey, with fine dark markings and a distinctive series of orange and black markings near the hindwing margins.

• The hindwings have small tails and often show contrasting orange markings around the anal angle.