Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Dingy Purplewing
Eunica monima (Stoll, 1782)


Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Biblidinae
Identification: Upperside is brown-black with a slight purple sheen. Dull, blurry white spots on forewing apex. Underside is brownish gray with no distinct pattern.
Wing Span: 1 7/8 - 2 inches (4.8 - 5.1 cm).
Life History: Adults perch on tree trunks with their wings closed, opening them only in flight. Females lay eggs singly on young leaves, and the caterpillars eat leaves.
Flight: Many broods all year in Mexico, June-September in South Texas, May-December in southern Florida.
Caterpillar Hosts: Tropical tree gumbo limbo (Bursera simaruba) and tropical prickly ash (Zanthoxylum pentamon).
Adult Food: Rotting fruit, dung, and sap; seldom flower nectar.
Habitat: Subtropical river forests, hardwood hammocks.
Range: Venezuela north through Central America to Mexico and the West Indies. Periodic immigrant to southern Florida (where it may be an occasional resident), South Texas, and southern Arizona.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
Get your BAMONA Gear!

Hoodies and t-shirts in two designs!


Advertise with us!

Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.