Dryas julia
Encyclopedia
Dryas iulia commonly called the Julia Butterfly, Julia Heliconian, or The Flame, is a species of brush-footed butterfly. The sole representative of its genus
Dryas, it is native from Brazil
to southern Texas
and Florida
, and in summer can sometimes be found as far north as eastern Nebraska
. Over 15 subspecies
have been described.
Its wingspan ranges from 82 to 92 mm, and it is colored orange (brighter in male specimens) with black markings; this species is somewhat unpalatable to bird
s and belongs to the "orange" Batesian mimic
complex.
This butterfly is a fast flier and frequents clearings, paths, and margins of forests and woodlands. It feeds on the nectar of flowers, such as lantana
s (Lantana) and Shepherd's-needle (Scandix pecten-veneris), and the tears of caiman
, the eye of which the butterfly irritates to produce tears. Its caterpillar
s feeds on leaves of passion vines
including Passiflora affinis and Yellow Passionflower (P. lutea) in Texas.
The species is popular in butterfly houses because it is long-lived and active throughout the day.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Dryas, it is native from 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...
to southern Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, and in summer can sometimes be found as far north as eastern Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. Over 15 subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
have been described.
Its wingspan ranges from 82 to 92 mm, and it is colored orange (brighter in male specimens) with black markings; this species is somewhat unpalatable to bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s and belongs to the "orange" Batesian mimic
Mimic
In evolutionary biology, mimicry is the similarity of one species to another which protects one or both. This similarity can be in appearance, behaviour, sound, scent and even location, with the mimics found in similar places to their models....
complex.
This butterfly is a fast flier and frequents clearings, paths, and margins of forests and woodlands. It feeds on the nectar of flowers, such as lantana
Lantana
Lantana is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa but exist as an introduced species in numerous areas, especially in the Australian-Pacific region. The genus includes both...
s (Lantana) and Shepherd's-needle (Scandix pecten-veneris), and the tears of caiman
Caiman
Caimans are alligatorid crocodylians within the subfamily Caimaninae. The group is one of two subfamilies of the family Alligatoridae, the other being alligators. Caimans inhabit Central and South America. They are relatively small crocodilians, with most species reaching lengths of only a few...
, the eye of which the butterfly irritates to produce tears. Its caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s feeds on leaves of passion vines
Passion flower
Passiflora, known also as the passion flowers or passion vines, is a genus of about 500 species of flowering plants, the namesakes of the family Passifloraceae. They are mostly vines, with some being shrubs, and a few species being herbaceous. For information about the fruit of the passiflora...
including Passiflora affinis and Yellow Passionflower (P. lutea) in Texas.
The species is popular in butterfly houses because it is long-lived and active throughout the day.
Subspecies
Listed alphabetically.- D. i. alcionea (Cramer, 1779)
- D. i. carteri (Riley, 1926)
- D. i. delila (Fabricius, 1775)
- D. i. dominicana (Hall, 1917)
- D. i. framptoni (Riley, 1926)
- D. i. fucatus (Boddaert, 1783)
- D. i. iulia (Fabricius, 1775)
- D. i. lucia (Riley, 1926)
- D. i. largo Clench, 1975
- D. i. martinica Enrico & Pinchon, 1969
- D. i. moderata (Riley, 1926)
- D. i. nudeola (Bates, 1934)
- D. i. warneri (Hall, 1936)
- D. i. zoe Miller & Steinhauser, 1992