Tailed Orange
Pyrisitia proterpia (Fabricius, 1775)
Family: Pieridae
Subfamily: Coliadinae
Identification: Two sexual and two seasonal forms. Upperside orange; tip of forewing squared off. Male with black forewing costa; females with black forewing costa, apex, and outer margin. Winter (dry-season) form with tail-like projections on hindwing; summer (wet-season) form without tails.
Wing Span: 1 3/4 - 2 1/4 inches (4.5 - 5.7 cm).
Life History: Males patrol for females on flats and in gullies. The dry-season form is non-reproductive until the onset of the rainy season.
Flight: August-November in Texas; throughout the year in the tropics.
Caterpillar Hosts: In Texas, mesquite (Prosopis) and senna (Cassia) species; Desmodium in the tropics (all in the pea family [Fabaceae]).
Adult Food: Nectar from many species of flowers.
Habitat: Desert and subtropical open and disturbed areas including scrub, pastures, forest edges.
Range: Peru north to Mexico; Greater Antilles; strays to southern Texas, southwest New Mexico, and southeast Arizona; rarely to Nebraska and Kansas.
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.
Get your BAMONA Gear!
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
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.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 193 verified sightings
Observation date: Oct 16, 2024
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Grant County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 04, 2024
Observation date: Oct 03, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 09, 2024
Observation date: Oct 03, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 09, 2024
Observation date: Oct 03, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 09, 2024
Observation date: Sep 16, 2024
Submitted by: cjgoin
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 29, 2024
Observation date: Sep 15, 2024
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Hidalgo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 29, 2024
Observation date: Sep 23, 2024
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Hidalgo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 29, 2024
Observation date: Dec 30, 2021
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 15, 2024
Observation date: Nov 15, 2023
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Baja California Sur, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Dec 13, 2023
Observation date: Oct 13, 2022
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: El Salvador
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: May 30, 2023
Observation date: Nov 28, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
Observation date: Nov 25, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
Observation date: Dec 03, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
Observation date: Dec 01, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
Observation date: Feb 03, 2019
Submitted by: David F Smith
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 21, 2023
Observation date: Oct 27, 2022
Submitted by: mfernandabarraza
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 02, 2023
Observation date: Jan 03, 2019
Submitted by: David F Smith
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 12, 2022
Observation date: Nov 17, 2022
Submitted by: Rmclaughlin
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Dec 03, 2022
Observation date: Nov 13, 2022
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Luna County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 28, 2022
Observation date: Oct 19, 2022
Submitted by: grosenberry
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 31, 2022
Observation date: Oct 28, 2022
Submitted by: cjgoin
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 29, 2022
Observation date: Jan 15, 2020
Submitted by: Geni Certain
Region: Guerrero, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 14, 2022
Observation date: Aug 16, 2017
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Panama
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 14, 2022
Observation date: Aug 27, 2013
Submitted by: Glynjer
Region: Colón Province, Panama
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 13, 2022
- 1 of 9
- next ›