We investigate the behavior of the residence times density function for dif
ferent nonlinear dynamical systems with limit cycle behavior and perturbed
parametrically with a colored noise. We present evidence that, underlying t
he stochastic resonancelike behavior with the noise correlation time, there
is an effect of optimal localization of the system trajectories in the pha
se space. This phenomenon is observed in systems with different nonlinearit
ies, suggesting a degree of universality. [S0031-9007(99)08901-8].