Montezuma's Cattleheart (Parides montezuma) is a butterfly

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 upper side of the wings is black with one row of red crescents along the hind wing margin. The underside of the wings is almost the same as the upper side.

Distribution and habitat

P. montezuma is found in dry forests from Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 to 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....

, occurring from sea level to 700 metres (2,296.6 ft). It is rare in Costa Rica, being more common northward. It is not threatened.

Host plants

• Aristolochia acanthophylla
• Aristolochia foetida – Jalisco Dutchman's Pipe
• Aristolochia grandiflora
  Aristolochia grandiflora
  Aristolochia grandiflora, or Pelican Flower, is a deciduous vine with enormous flowers that emit an odor that humans consider unpleasant but attractive to insects...
  
  – Pelican Flower
• Aristolochia micrantha
• Aristolochia orbicularis