Description: 39-50 mm. Black with a bright orange-yellow band on dorsal wings. Ventral hindwing has a large reddish patch. Tails are long with a yellow spot in the middle

 

Habitat and Distribution: Only the uppermost Keys. There are other subspecies that occur in other islands of the Caribbean. I saw an individual in a coastal park in Boca Raton (Palm Beach County) back in 1998. The habitat is tropical hardwood hammocks.

 

Host Plant: Citrus trees, Torchwood (Amyris elemifera) and Wild Lime (Xanthoxylum fagara) in the Keys.

 

Natural History: This species used to be considered a stray but was confirmed to be a breeding resident of the Northernmost Keys.