Ancyluris meliboeus
Encyclopedia
The Meliboeus Swordtail (Ancyluris meliboeus) is a butterfly
of the Riodinidae
family. It is found in Surinam, Brazil
, Colombia
, Bolivia
and Peru
.
The wingspan
is about 40 mm. A recent study has shown that it has patches of unusual microstructure on the ventral wing scales. This highly tilted, multilayered arrangement produces a bright iridescence of broad wavelength range and generates a strong flicker contrast from minimal wing movement.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
of the Riodinidae
Riodinidae
The Riodinidae are a family of butterflies. The common name "metalmarks" refers to the small metallic-looking spots commonly found on their wings. There are approximately 1,000 species of metalmark butterflies in the world...
family. It is found in Surinam, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
and Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is about 40 mm. A recent study has shown that it has patches of unusual microstructure on the ventral wing scales. This highly tilted, multilayered arrangement produces a bright iridescence of broad wavelength range and generates a strong flicker contrast from minimal wing movement.
Subspecies
- Ancyluris meliboeus meliboeus (Surinam, Brazil (Amazonas), Peru)
- Ancyluris meliboeus euaemon (Peru, Colombia, Bolivia)
- Ancyluris meliboeus julia (Brazil)