Magnificent passion butterflies
| Magnificent passion butterflies | ||||||||||||
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Magnificent Passion Butterfly ( Philaethria dido ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Philaethria dido | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1763) |
The magnificent passion butterfly ( Philaethria dido ) is a butterfly (day butterfly ) from the noble butterfly family (Nymphalidae).
description
butterfly
The wingspan of the moth is 75 to 88 millimeters. Their wings are long and narrow. The basic color is black. On the forewings there are three large, bright yellow-green to malachite-green spots, one of which runs as a narrow longitudinal stripe from the wing root to the center along the front edge. There is also a large green spot on the hind wings that fills almost the entire surface. In addition, there is a chain of green spots that run along the outer edge. The undersides of the wings show a similar color pattern as the upper sides, but towards the front edge the green spots are limited by a red line.
Caterpillar
Adult caterpillars have a whitish to pale green basic color, a yellowish underside and are equipped with many black or reddish thorns on the back and sides.
Doll
The pupae have a brownish color, are marbled gray and white and are reminiscent of bird droppings in order to be protected from predators.
Similar species
The similarly colored malachite butterfly ( Siproeta stelenes ) differs in its shorter and wider wing shape, green transverse bands and the lack of a longitudinal stripe on the upper side of the forewing. The similar Philaethria pygmalion is larger and predominantly turquoise in color. The red boundary lines on the underside of the hind wing are only weakly developed or completely absent. This species occurs mainly in the mouth of the Amazon in the state of Pará .
distribution and habitat
The distribution area of the magnificent passion butterfly includes the Rio Grande Valley in southern Texas , Central America , Colombia , Peru , Bolivia and western parts of the Amazon basin . The species prefers to live in tropical rainforests .
Way of life
The moths can be found in the northern range from July to December, in the south all year round. To take in nectar, they like to suckle on different flowers, for example on Cissus species. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of passion flowers ( Passiflora ), including Passiflora laurifolia , Passiflora vitifolia , Passiflora edulis and Passiflora ambigua .
Subspecies
The following subspecies are distinguished:
- Philaethria dido choconensis , in western Colombia
- Philaethria dido dido
swell
Individual evidence
- ↑ Philaethria dido http://www.reimangardens.iastate.edu/documents/filelibrary/id_cards/scarce_bamboo_page_june_2008.pdf
- ↑ caterpillar http://www.flickr.com/photos/skydiver_hh/9306576243/
- ↑ Distribution http://www.nic.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/papilionoidea/nymphalidae/heliconiinae/philaethria/index.html#dido
- ↑ Butterflies and Moths of North America http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Philaethria-dido
- ↑ Butterflies of the Amazon region http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Amazon%20-%20Philaethria%20dido.htm
- ↑ Magnificent Passion Butterfly (Philaethria dido) in the Encyclopedia of Life . Retrieved August 12, 2017.
