Mexican Yellow

Mexican Yellow (Eurema mexicana) has a dark border that resembles the border of the southern dogface but has the snout of the dog replaced by what rlooks like a beak. It has a wingspan tha is less than two inches. The ventral side of the wings are mainly light yellow with a variable number of scattered small spots.

Wing span: 1 3/4 - 2 1/2 inches (4.4 - 6.3 cm).

Identification: Upper surface is creamy white with indented black borders which outline a "dog's head" on forewings; more pronounced in male. Hindwing with projecting tail-like points.

Life history: None reported.

Flight: Midsummer to fall as vagrant, all year in tropics.

Caterpillar hosts: Acacia and Diphysa in the pea family (Fabaceae).

Adult food: Nectar from a wide variety of flowers.

Habitat: Open, dry areas: flats, hillsides, deserts, prairies. Found in moister areas in Mexico and Central America.

Range: Resident from Central America north to South Texas and the Southwest; common vagrant in Great Plains and Southwest deserts; rare mi... read moregrant to Mississippi, Arkansas, Illinois, and Michigan.