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Step 1
Know the crimson patch's habitat. Knowing where the butterfly lives will help you correctly identify a butterfly as a crimson patch. Colombia, parts of Mexico, Central American and even southern Texas boast large numbers of crimson patch butterflies, so look around these areas to identify the insect.
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Step 2
Learn the patterns of the crimson patch's top wing. The butterfly has a deep brown and sometimes black palette with an anterior orange-red patch, for which it is named. The black section of the wings are broken by small, irregularly sized white spots.
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Step 3
Look at the hindwing. The ventral hindwing of the crimson patch adds a layer of identification which you can use to properly identify the butterfly. The hindwing has an anterior paper-yellow patch that borders a small red buffer and black edges. Use these patterns as a guide to identify the butterfly.
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Step 4
Understand crimson patch behavior. The crimson patch is attracted to subtropical forest and fields where these butterflies feed on flower nectar. You can identify a crimson patch by matching its color patterns with this type of behavior to be confident about your identification.
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Step 5
Recognize the size of the butterfly. The crimson patch's wingspan is roughly five centimeters. While knowing this is good, it is also very helpful to have a good standard of reference or comparably sized object in mind so you can quickly identify a crimson patch butterfly.
