Marpesia chiron
| Marpesia chiron | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Marpesia chiron |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Marpesia chiron | ||||||||||||
| ( Fabricius , 1775) |
_underside.JPG)
Marpesia chiron is a butterfly ( butterflies ) from the family of noble butterflies (Nymphalidae) that occursin Central and South America.
features
butterfly
The wingspan of the moth is 54 to 67 millimeters. There is no sexual dimorphism . In both sexes, the base color of the top of all wings is dark brown. Several yellow-brown horizontal stripes run across all wings. A few small whitish spots stand out near the apex . There is a small red spot at the anal corner. The undersides of the wings show a brown color in the outer region. They are whitish in color in the basal region and streaked with orange. On the outer edge of the hind wings are a pair of long, pointed tails. In English usage, the species is referred to as the Many-banded Daggerwing (multi-striped dagger wing).
Caterpillar
Fully grown caterpillars are orange-yellow in color and have reddish brown horizontal stripes, black back lines and many prickly scoli. There are two blackish horns on the head.
Doll
The doll is designed as a falling doll, has a gray-white colored thorax with short spines and a red-brown abdomen. The wing-sheaths show black spots, the head orange spots.
Occurrence and habitat
Marpesia chiron occurs in Central America and further south to Argentina . The species is also native to the Greater Antilles . Immigrants have been reported from southern Texas as well as Kansas and Florida . In Mexico , Ecuador and Suriname it is represented by the subspecies Marpesia chiron marius , in Cuba by Marpesia chiron chironides . The species prefers to colonize tropical forest areas and river banks. The altitude distribution is between sea level and 2500 meters.
Way of life
The moths can be found in South America in all months of the year. In Florida they appear in June and July, in Texas in February and between July and October. While the females like to suck nectar from flowers, the males prefer moist soil or excrement in order to take in fluids and minerals. The females spend most of the day in the upper area of trees and are therefore rarely observed. At night, the moths often form sociable sleeping communities in which up to 15 animals hang together under tree branches. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of the jackfruit tree ( Artocarpus heterophyllus ) as well as on brosimum , breadfruit tree ( Artocarpus ), milicia and fig species ( Ficus ). In South America, the butterflies occasionally multiply explosively, as a result of which extensive migratory movements take place. A similar behavior was also observed with Marpesia furcula .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Many-banded Daggerwing at Butterflies and Moths of North America
- ↑ a b c d James A. Scott: The Butterflies of North America. , Stanford University Press, Stanford, California 1986 ISBN 0-8047-1205-0 , p. 273
- ↑ a b Markku Savela: Tanaecia Butler, [1869] - distribution. In: Lepidoptera and some other life forms. Retrieved February 20, 2019 .
- ↑ Many-banded Daggerwing, Butterflies of the Amazon and Andes
- ^ Paul A. Opler: A Field Guide to Western Butterflies , Peterson Field Guide Series, New York, 1999, p. 341
Web links
- butterfliesofamerica - Butterflies of America