Eumaeus atala

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Eumaeus atala
Eumaeus atala, underside of the wing

Eumaeus atala , underside of the wing

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Bluebirds (Lycaenidae)
Subfamily : Hairstreak (Theclinae)
Genre : Eumaeus
Type : Eumaeus atala
Scientific name
Eumaeus atala
( Poey , 1832)
Caterpillar
Doll

Eumaeus Atala is a butterfly ( butterfly ) from the family of Gossamer (Lycaenidae). The type epithet was named by the Cuban author Felipe Poey after the novel "Atala" by François-René de Chateaubriand (original title: Atala, ou les amours de deux sauvages dans le désert ).

features

butterfly

The wingspan of the moth is 38 to 51 millimeters. The basic color of all wings is black-blue. On the top of the forewings there is a more or less pronounced turquoise blue, metallic shimmering longitudinal field below the front edge , which is weaker in the females. At the edge of the hind wings there are usually a number of small bluish spots. The underside of the hind wings is provided with three rows of turquoise-blue spots in the males, which show light blue tints in the females. There is a distinct orange-red spot near the wing root. The abdomen is of the same color. Although it belongs to the hairstreak, it does not have the typical attachments on its wings. These are also not serrated in a curved manner.

Egg, caterpillar, pupa

The gray-white eggs are usually deposited in mirrors of up to fifty pieces on the upper side of the leaf tip of the food plants.

The caterpillars have a strong red to reddish brown color and are provided with two rows of yellow spots along their entire length and with short, dark hair on the point warts.

The doll is light yellow-brown in color. It is covered with a few yellow, translucent dots and brownish spots.

Similar species

  • Eumaeus minyas can be confused with the species, but its overall appearance is darker in color on the upper side of the wing. The species colonizes areas in Mexico and South America. As a result, there is no geographical overlap of the occurrence with Eumaeus atala .

Distribution and occurrence

Found in Southeast Florida

The range of the species covers a small area in southeast Florida including the Florida Keys , the Bahamas , Cuba and the Cayman Islands . Eumaeus atala occurs preferentially in subtropical bush landscapes, in the Bahamas also in open areas.

Way of life

The moths fly in several generations throughout the year. They like to suckle flowers in the early morning and late afternoon. The caterpillars live on Sagopalmfarn - ( Cycas ) and Zamia TYPES from the family of Cycas (Cycadaceae), particularly on Zamia floridana , Zamia integrifolia and Zamia angustifolia , Cuba also Cycas revoluta . With the food plants, the caterpillars also ingest poisonous substances that are stored in the body and thus make caterpillars, pupae and butterflies unattractive to predators. Their striking colors are an additional warning. Nevertheless, moths are sometimes found with damaged wings caused by bites by birds and lizards. Males show hairy pheromone pockets ( coremata ) on the abdomen, which are used during courtship when they hover in front of the females.

Subspecies

  • Eumaeus atala florida Röber , 1926
  • Eumaeus atala grayi Comstock & Huntington , 1946

Danger

The species has only been found in a few places in Florida and is considered endangered there. The moths have likely immigrated from the Bahamas and are in the process of establishing stable populations. In the Bahamas, Eumaeus atala is very numerous and not endangered. The species was temporarily considered to be extinct in the USA, but has since been successfully reintroduced.

supporting documents

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Atala Butterfly http://www.flickr.com/photos/emendoza005/5076704303/
  2. ^ Butterflies and Moths of North America http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Eumaeus-atala
  3. ↑ a b Elizabeth Balmer: Butterflies: Recognize and determine. Parragon Books, 2007, ISBN 9781407512037 , p. 71
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g James A. Scott (1986). The Butterflies of North America: A Natural History and Field Guide. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-2013-4 , pp. 358/359
  5. ^ Butterflies of America http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/eumaeus_minyas.htm

literature

  • James A. Scott (1986). The Butterflies of North America: A Natural History and Field Guide. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-2013-4 , pp. 358/359

Web links

Commons : Eumaeus atala  - collection of images, videos and audio files