Insects · La Saladita, Guerrero

Crimson Patch

Chlosyne janais

Spanish: Mariposa de parches rojos

Crimson Patch (Chlosyne janais)
Photographed by daniel_brito on iNaturalist · CC-BY-NC

Chlosyne janais, the crimson patch or janais patch, is a common New World butterfly found from Colombia north through Central America and Mexico to southern Texas, with occasional sightings in southeastern Mexico and northern Texas. The dorsal and ventral wing surface is black with several undulating rows of small white spots on the medial forewings and along all outer wing margins. On each dorsal hindwing is a medial orange-red patch situated anteriorly. The ventral hindwings have a fragmented yellow proximal patch bordered by a thick postmedial band of red that does not reach the wing margins; maximum wingspan is 4.8–6.7 cm.

TaxonomyInsecta › Lepidoptera › Nymphalidae
Local records20 research-grade observations within about 50 km of La Saladita (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones)
Global records6,488 on iNaturalist
Most recent records2023 – 2026
Months of the 8 most recent records
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Recent local sightings

Interactive card with more photos, sounds and similar species Insects guide iNaturalist Wikipedia

Cite as: “Crimson Patch (Chlosyne janais) at La Saladita”, La Saladita Field Guide, lasaladita.com/species/chlosyne-janais/, updated 2026-09-26. Observation counts and months come from iNaturalist research-grade records within about 50 km of 17.8375°N, 101.7606°W (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones); summary text from Wikipedia where present.