Eumaeus atala, also known as the Atala butterfly or coontie hairstreak, is a small colorful butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in southeastern Florida (including the Florida Keys) in the United States, and the Bahamas, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands in the West Indies. Its coloration and habits are unique among butterflies within its range.

The species was originally described by the Cuban zoologist Felipe Poey. He named the butterfly for Atala, the Native American heroine of an 1801 French novella (Atala, ou Les Amours de deux sauvages dans le desert or in English: "Atala, or the Loves of two Indian savages in the desert") of the same name by Chateaubriand.

History

Throughout its range, the larvae feed on a native cycad, Zamia integrifolia (commonly called "coontie palm" or "arrowhead"), as well as the introduced Zamia pumila and other exotic ornamental cycads. In Cuba, the cycad Cycas revoluta is also eaten.
 Adult butterflies take flower nectar and sometimes roost in trees. Adults fly through much of the year. The natural habitat is open brushy areas and tropical hammocks, often in pine woodlands. Many populations now exist in suburban areas with ornamental cycads. Males keep close to a site with host plants, which often forms small colonies of a few individuals. The females, however, may disperse in search of more hosts.

Ecology

The Atala butterfly is a great example of aposematic (warning) coloration throughout its life cycle. The brightly colored larva or caterpillar feeds on cycads that contain a toxic secondary plant chemical (cycasin) which it retains in its body for life. Birds, lizards, and other animals may attempt to prey on the larvae, pupae, and adults, but find them distasteful and learn to avoid these brightly patterned insects.
 The butterfly's flight is slow, unlike the swift, erratic flight of many other Lycaenidae.

Description

Like many Lepidoptera, male atalas have hair-pencils (coremata) on their abdomens used in courtship; the male hovers in front of the female, wafting pheromones exuded from the pencils in her direction. Eggs are laid in clusters of 10-50 on the leaf tips of the host plant. Larvae feed on the leaves. Pupation is usually done on the host plant.

Breeding

The Florida/United States population was at one time believed to have become extirpated due to overharvesting of its host plant, the coontie palm. It was not collected in Florida from 1937 until 1959. The Atala butterfly is now extremely common locally in southeast Florida, rebounding to the extent of almost being considered a pest, as it has begun to eat ornamental cycads planted in suburban areas. In Palm Springs, Florida, the G-Star School of the Arts has been contributing to the growth of local population numbers.

Conservation

harmful

Eumaeus atala butterflies are considered tree pests because their larvae feed on the leaves of specific host plants, such as coontie palms, which can cause damage to the trees if the infestation is severe.

tree pest

Eumaeus atala butterflies can be considered garden pests because their larvae feed on the leaves of certain plants, such as coontie palms, which are commonly found in gardens and landscapes, leading to potential damage to these plants if the infestation is significant.

garden pest

Eumaeus atala butterflies can be considered crop pests because their larvae feed on the leaves of certain plants, such as coontie palms, which are sometimes cultivated as ornamental plants or used in landscaping, leading to potential damage to these crops if the infestation is significant.

crop pest

Eumaeus atala butterflies are considered pests because their larvae feed on the leaves of specific host plants, such as coontie palms, which can cause damage to trees, gardens, and crops if the infestation is significant.

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