Clipper Butterfly vs Zela Metalmark

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Clipper Butterfly Zela Metalmark
Scientific Name Parthenos sylvia Emesis zela
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Nymphalidae Riodinidae
Size 90-110 mm wingspan 25-30 mm wingspan
Habitat Mountains Mountains
Diet Fruit Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam) Southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, Mexico
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Clipper Butterfly

A powerful gliding butterfly with broad wings marked in pale blue-green, brown, and white. It has a distinctive sailing flight style, gliding on stiffly held wings between trees.

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Did You Know?

It exists in multiple color forms across its range, with wing colors varying from bluish-green to honey-brown in different regions.

Zela Metalmark

A small butterfly with rust-brown wings marked with fine dark lines and subtle metallic scaling. It inhabits mountain canyons in the borderlands of Arizona and Mexico.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the target species for butterfly watchers visiting the famous canyons of southeastern Arizona.