The female ruddy daggerwing lays her pale yellow eggs singly on the leaves of strangler figs. As the eggs hatch, small caterpillars emerge. The caterpillars are bright orange and cream colored with blue lateral markings along their segments, four long black spines along their backs, and two long black horns on their heads.

Adults are orange with thin black bands, and they have a long, thin projection at the end of each hindwing.

There have been no sightings of eggs, caterpillars, or chrysalises of this butterfly in the Conservancy Butterfly garden. Sightings of the adult have been infrequent.

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Links:

Index to Butterfly and Moth Visitors to Gardens

Index To Photographs of Plants in the Gardens

Plant Lists by Garden

Conservancy of SW Florida Butterfly Garden Home Page

Conservancy of SW Florida Home Page.

Please report errors to Susan Snyder at ssnyder2@columbus.rr.com