Harvester
Feniseca tarquinius (Fabricius, 1793)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Miletinae
Identification: Upperside has black spots and orange-brown areas surrounded by black. Underside hindwing is orange-brown to orange-purple with small, faint white circles.
Wing Span: 1 1/8 - 1 1/4 inches (3 - 3.2 cm).
Life History: Males perch in sunlight on the edge of leaves, watching for females, then fly back and forth in the area, returning to where they started. Females lay eggs in colonies of woolly aphids and sometimes scale insects or treehoppers because caterpillars are carnivorous on these insects. For protection from ants, some caterpillars feed under a silken mat covered with aphid carcasses.
Flight: Two flights in the north from May-August; three in the south from February-September.
Caterpillar Hosts: Woolly aphids (Neoprociphilus, Pemphigus, Prociphilus, and Schizoneura) and sometimes scale insects or treehoppers; these insects suck sap from alders, witch hazel, ash, beech, hawthorn, and wild currant.
Adult Food: Adult\'s short proboscis is suited for feeding on aphid honeydew; they do not sip flower nectar.
Habitat: Deciduous or mixed woodlands along streams.
Range: Eastern United States west to Minnesota, south to central Texas and central Florida. Comments: Only North American butterfly species with carnivorous caterpillars.
Conservation: Not normally required.
NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 1602 verified sightings
Observation date: May 05, 2023
Submitted by: zebrafinch19
Region: Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 14, 2024
Observation date: Aug 12, 2024
Submitted by: gpro111
Region: Citrus County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 12, 2024
Observation date: Jun 01, 2024
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 09, 2024
Observation date: Jul 18, 2024
Submitted by: Benjamin Miller
Region: Knox County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 28, 2024
Observation date: Jul 18, 2024
Submitted by: smnelson
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 24, 2024
Observation date: Jul 09, 2024
Submitted by: danahoover
Region: Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 13, 2024
Observation date: Jul 08, 2024
Submitted by: cblazo
Region: Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 13, 2024
Observation date: May 03, 2024
Submitted by: ravenfrank1
Region: Frederick County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 09, 2024
Observation date: Apr 30, 2024
Submitted by: jenkbowman
Region: Brown County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 22, 2024
Observation date: May 28, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 16, 2024
Observation date: Jun 08, 2024
Submitted by: Tdloyd
Region: Sumner County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 11, 2024
Observation date: Jun 01, 2024
Submitted by: Jgrugeon
Region: Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 09, 2024
Observation date: May 29, 2024
Submitted by: Allison Barta
Region: Cass County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 04, 2024
Observation date: May 25, 2024
Submitted by: Ty-Sharrow
Region: Randolph County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 28, 2024
Observation date: May 21, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 24, 2024
Observation date: Apr 18, 2023
Submitted by: DHumphries
Region: James City County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2024
Observation date: Apr 07, 2024
Submitted by: J. Trapnell
Region: Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: May 19, 2024
Observation date: May 13, 2024
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 16, 2024
Observation date: May 08, 2024
Submitted by: Tom Raub
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 10, 2024
Observation date: Apr 29, 2024
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Pike County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 02, 2024
Observation date: Apr 14, 2024
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 22, 2024
Observation date: Apr 12, 2024
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Grundy County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Apr 16, 2024
Observation date: Apr 14, 2024
Submitted by: Tdloyd
Region: Sumner County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 14, 2024
Observation date: Jul 01, 2023
Submitted by: Paxton Scott
Region: Woodbury County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 01, 2024
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