Eurytides orabilis
Encyclopedia
Eurytides orabilis is a species of butterfly
in the family Papilionidae. It is native to the Americas
.
of E. orabilis is 46 to 56 mm (1.8 to 2.2 in). Both sexes are similar. The fore wing is black with the basal, postbasal, and postmedian areas being a cream-white color. A black stripe crosses through the middle of the cream-white area from the costa. The apical area has two creamy spots. The hind wing is black with cream-white basal, postbasal, and posmedian areas. A small red spot is present on the anal margin. The tails are black with yellowish tips.
to Guatemala
, and is also found on Costa Rica
. E. o. isocharis is found in Colombia
and Ecuador
.
and Cordia megalantha as nectar sources. Freshly emerged males will puddle on wet sand near the edges of streams.
. The first instar
s of the caterpillar
are gray-brown, with a saddle on the abdominal segments. The head is black, and the anal plate on the abdomen is yellow-green. The fifth instar is green with black spots on the thoracic segments. The first two and last three abdominal segments are also spotted with black. The osmeterium is yellow.
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...
in the family Papilionidae. It is native to the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
.
Description
The wingspanWingspan
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...
of E. orabilis is 46 to 56 mm (1.8 to 2.2 in). Both sexes are similar. The fore wing is black with the basal, postbasal, and postmedian areas being a cream-white color. A black stripe crosses through the middle of the cream-white area from the costa. The apical area has two creamy spots. The hind wing is black with cream-white basal, postbasal, and posmedian areas. A small red spot is present on the anal margin. The tails are black with yellowish tips.
Subspecies
- Eurytides orabilis orabilis (Butler, 1872)
- Eurytides orabilis isocharis (Rothschild & Jordan 1906)
Distribution
The nominate subspecies, E. o. orabilis, is found from PanamaPanama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
to Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, and is also found on Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. E. o. isocharis is found in 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...
and Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
.
Behavior
Males often fly above the tree canopy, while females fly along forest edges and streams. Adults use Hernandia didymanthaHernandia didymantha
Hernandia didymantha is a species of plant in the Hernandiaceae family. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.-Source:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
and Cordia megalantha as nectar sources. Freshly emerged males will puddle on wet sand near the edges of streams.
Life cycle
Females lay their white eggs singly on the leaves of Guatteria oliviformis and Guatteria tonduziiGuatteria tonduzii
Guatteria tonduzii is a species of plant in the Annonaceae family. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Panama. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Mitré, M. 1998. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
. The first instar
Instar
An instar is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each molt , until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or assume a new form. Differences between instars can often be seen in altered body proportions, colors, patterns, or...
s of the 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...
are gray-brown, with a saddle on the abdominal segments. The head is black, and the anal plate on the abdomen is yellow-green. The fifth instar is green with black spots on the thoracic segments. The first two and last three abdominal segments are also spotted with black. The osmeterium is yellow.