Diet

• Caterpillars feed on woody plants, particularly species in the trumpet-vine family (Bignoniaceae).

• Larvae feed on foliage and develop within the shelter of the host plant.

• Adults are attracted to flowers and may also obtain nutrients from damp surfaces and other sources.

Range

• Rubroserrata mathewi ranges from Mexico through Central America to western and northern South America.

• It occurs in the Zihua area.

Habitat

• It occurs in both wet and dry tropical forest, including lowland and montane forest.

• Forest edges, clearings and hilltops are important adult habitats.

• Males are known to establish mating territories on hilltops during the morning, particularly from sunrise through approximately 9:30 a.m.

• In the Zihua area, tropical dry forest and forested hillsides provide suitable habitat.

Description

• A small hairstreak with a wingspan of approximately 24 mm.

• Males have a dark brown upper surface with a distinctive chalk-blue area along the inner portion of the wings. This blue can be surprisingly inconspicuous when the butterfly is viewed from a distance.

• Females are generally darker and less extensively blue above.

• The underside is brown to grey-brown with fine pale markings and a cryptic pattern suited to resting among foliage.

• The hindwings have a small tail and contrasting markings near the anal angle.