About Zerene cesonia (Stoll, 1790)
Zerene cesonia, commonly known as the southern dogface, has pointed forewings. The upper side of its wings features a dogface pattern; wings are primarily yellow with black borders. The underside of the wings is mostly yellow, with a black eyespot on the forewing and two white spots on the hindwing. This butterfly lives in short-grass prairie hills, open woodlands, and areas near road edges. Both males and females can be seen feeding on flowers including alfalfa, and species in the genera Coreopsis, Houstonia, and Verbena. Males also engage in puddling behavior. The species' host plants are Amorpha canescens (leadplant), Amorpha fruticosa (false indigo), Glycine max (soybean), Medicago sativa (alfalfa), Dalea frutescens (black dalea), Dalea purpurea (purple prairie clover), and Trifolium species (clover). Males patrol their range to find females, and males are the active flight partner during mating. Green-white eggs are laid on the underside of host plant leaves. Full-grown larvae are green, with a white stripe running down each side of the body. The green chrysalis hangs upright, secured by a silken girdle around its body.
