Bug FAQTropical Leafwing
Anaea aidea · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Nymphalidae
Also called: Tropical Leafwing Butterfly
The tropical leafwing has a wingspan of about 57 to 78 mm (2.2 to 3.1 in). It lives naturally from Mexico down to northwestern Costa Rica, and occasional individuals wander into southern Texas, Arizona and California. Its caterpillars feed on plants of the Croton genus. Some experts treat it as a subspecies of Anaea troglodyta.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 57 to 78 mm (2.2 to 3.1 in).
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on Croton species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native from Mexico to northwestern Costa Rica, with stray sightings in southern Texas, Arizona and California.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Often considered a subspecies of Anaea troglodyta.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 5 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Florida, Nebraska.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Where is the tropical leafwing found?
It is native from Mexico to northwestern Costa Rica and sometimes appears in southern Texas, Arizona and California.
Source: Wikipedia
Is the tropical leafwing a separate species?
Some authors treat it as a subspecies of Anaea troglodyta.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Nymphalidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaea_aidea
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.