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
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 68 verified sightings
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_2351-standard.jpg?itok=_tQ61iZE)
Observation date: Jul 25, 2024
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 08, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dingy_purplewing_eunica_monima_fl_monroe_county_-_ft_zach_sp_sep_3_2023.jpg?itok=UXgr9nrE)
Observation date: Sep 03, 2023
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 08, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/purplewing_florida_eunicia_tatila_02-25-2023_national_butterfly_center_hidalgo_co_tx_-02.jpg?itok=jvT50BKr)
Observation date: Feb 25, 2023
Submitted by: ASchmierer
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 27, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/eunica_monima_2019feb24.jpg?itok=xwo-rGXH)
Observation date: Feb 24, 2019
Submitted by: David F Smith
Region: Sinaloa, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/san_blas_oct_2020_22158.jpg?itok=SYX1F-bb)
Observation date: Oct 04, 2020
Submitted by: mstackhouse
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_8519b.jpg?itok=g8BISsOv)
Observation date: Aug 23, 2019
Submitted by: Markus M
Region: Jalisco, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/eunica_monima_2022jan12.jpg?itok=SXnRJNsB)
Observation date: Jan 12, 2022
Submitted by: David F Smith
Region: Oaxaca, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Jan 26, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/2109_dec_2_2016_2109_delcoco_beach.jpg?itok=7a0kRh2A)
Observation date: Dec 02, 2016
Submitted by: bobscafe
Region: Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 26, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dingy_purplewing_s_bamona.jpg?itok=EHxOu_xB)
Observation date: Jun 12, 2019
Submitted by: MaynorOvando
Region: Zacapa, Guatemala
Verified by: Doug Taron
Verified date: Oct 20, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dingy_purplewing_eunica_monima_chiapas_mx_194.jpg?itok=9dw9RxCj)
Observation date: Jul 12, 2017
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Chiapas, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 11, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_9392_eunica_monima_dingy_purplewing.jpg?itok=F3jfC9Ly)
Observation date: Feb 12, 2016
Submitted by: BeaLaporte
Region: Yucatan, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 28, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dingy_purplewing_eunica_monima_fl_miami-dade_county_-_castellow_hammock_oct_21_2012a.jpg?itok=awLD1k-f)
Observation date: Oct 21, 2012
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 02, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dingy_purplewing_eunica_monima_fl_monroe_county_-_key_largo_hammock_sp_aug_21_2022a.jpg?itok=eqLirZq2)
Observation date: Aug 21, 2022
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 02, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dingy1_evans.jpg?itok=HkSO5bI9)
Observation date: Jun 17, 2021
Submitted by: Ron Smith
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 22, 2021
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dingy_purplewing_eunicia_monima_9-19-2019_1000_hrs_garden_canyon_ft_huachuca_huachuca_mts_cochise_co_az_-02.jpg?itok=zchJ5CcX)
Observation date: Sep 19, 2019
Submitted by: ASchmierer
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Sep 20, 2019
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dingy_purplewing_-_eunica_monima.jpg?itok=evARPjIR)
Observation date: Jun 24, 2019
Submitted by: Rabid_chihuahua
Region: Cameron County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 24, 2019
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/filefield_paths/dingy_purplewing_1_d.jpg?itok=DKJogqMf)
Observation date: Nov 12, 2017
Submitted by: wallap74
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 12, 2018
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_5679.jpg?itok=t3G7GcqW)
Observation date: Nov 22, 2017
Submitted by: wayne13114
Region: Cuba
Verified by: wayne13114
Verified date: Dec 26, 2017
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/filefield_paths/img_2078_0.jpg?itok=twDuEsHI)
Observation date: Jul 30, 2017
Submitted by: tripp.davenport...
Region: Texas, Uvalde County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 31, 2017
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/filefield_paths/sony_rx10m3-07805-2.jpg?itok=youDHcA-)
Observation date: Jul 17, 2017
Submitted by: Raul Delgado
Region: Texas, Webb County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 18, 2017
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/filefield_paths/sony_rx10m3-01132.jpg?itok=kHGJB2QI)
Observation date: Jul 13, 2017
Submitted by: Raul Delgado
Region: Texas, Webb County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 14, 2017
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/purplewing_dingy_butterfly_rgv_au_5-15_2016_216.jpg?itok=u6NFomah)
Observation date: Aug 05, 2016
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 21, 2016
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/unknown_butter_6_100928_1bam.jpg?itok=bhVcreC3)
Observation date: Sep 28, 2010
Submitted by: rob77897@gmail.com
Region: Puerto Rico
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 09, 2015
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_0235_2.jpg?itok=eAa-h-Mi)
Observation date: Apr 07, 2015
Submitted by: Rangel Diaz
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 18, 2015
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