Doxocopa laurentia
| Doxocopa laurentia | ||||||||||||
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Doxocopa laurentia , male in the Iguazú National Park |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Doxocopa laurentia | ||||||||||||
| ( Godart , 1824) |
Doxocopa laurentia is a butterfly ( butterflies )found in Central and South Americafromthe noble butterfly family (Nymphalidae).
features
butterfly
The wingspan of the moth is about 75 millimeters. The outer edge of the wing is jagged. The species is characterized by a strong sexual dimorphism . Both sexes have a black-brown upper wing surface. In the case of the males this is provided with broad, metallic blue or turquoise iridescent stripes, which in the case of the females are white. These also show a large yellow spot near the apex . In both sexes, the underside of the wing is yellow-gray and streaked with a mostly faint dark transverse band.
Caterpillar
The caterpillars feed on the leaves of hackberry trees ( Celtis ). When fully grown, they are green in color, sharply tapered towards the anal segment, and show a pair of distinct horns on the head.
Similar species
Female Doxocopa laure and Doxocopa pavon moths are very similar to Doxocopa laurentia , but differ primarily in the gray or brown underside of the wing, which shows a silvery or whitish sheen.
Distribution, subspecies and habitat
In addition to the in Brazil occurring nominate Doxocopa laurentia laurentia two more subspecies known:
- Doxocopa laurentia cherubina ( Felder & Felder , 1867), in Central America, Colombia , Bolivia and Peru
- Doxocopa laurentia thalysia ( Fruhstorfer , 1907), in Ecuador
The species mainly inhabits subtropical forests at altitudes between 300 and 1600 meters. In Peru it is restricted to the eastern slopes of the Andes .
Way of life
The males are very faithful to their location. They sometimes suckle on damp places in the earth, overripe fruits, carrion or excrement. The females stay almost constantly in the higher tree regions.
Individual evidence
Web links
- learnaboutbutterflies - Butterflies of the Amazon and the Andes
- butterfliesofamerica - Butterflies of America
- eol.org - Encyclopedia of Life