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Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Turquoise-banded
Shoemaker
Archaeoprepona
amphimachus
FABRICIUS, 1775
Family -
NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
CHARAXINAE
Tribe -
PREPONINI
introduction
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habitats |
lifecycle |
adult behaviour
Archaeoprepona amphimachus, Rio
Alto Madre de Dios, Peru
Introduction
The
Charaxinae are a group of robust, medium to large Nymphalids characterised by
having a rapid and powerful flight, stout bodies, and
a habit of feeding at dung and carrion.
They
are represented in Africa by Charaxes, Palla
and Euxanthe,
in the Oriental and Australian regions by
Charaxes
and Polyura;
and in the neotropics by genera including
Consul, Memphis,
Fountainea, Agrias, Prepona,
and
Archaeoprepona.
Archaeoprepona and
Prepona
are similar on the upper surface, being chocolate brown with bands of dazzling blue or turquoise. The
2 genera can easily be distinguished
by examining the underside hindwings - in
Archaeoprepona
there is a tiny submarginal ocellus in each cell, but in
Prepona
the ocellus near the apex, and the one near the tornus, are both greatly enlarged.
Another difference is that
Prepona males have
tufts of yellow androconial scales on the hind-wings ( in
Archaeoprepona
these are black ). Both genera are noted for their red proboscises.
There are 7 species in
Prepona
and 8 in Archaeoprepona.
In 1814 Hübner committed something of a
faux
pas by giving a newly
described species the name
A.
demophoon - almost
identical to the name given by Linnaeus to another species
demophon
56 years earlier in 1758. Unfortunately the rules of nomenclature prevent the
name from being changed. To complicate matters further both species often
occur together, and on the upperside are virtually identical.
Archaeoprepona amphimachus
is regarded by some authorities ( e.g. DeVries ) as a subspecies of
meander,
but Lamas treats it as a distinct species, with a distribution range from Mexico
to Bolivia.
Habitats
This species is found in rainforests and humid deciduous forests at altitudes
between sea level and about 1500m.
Lifecycle
The lifecycle is unknown
but is probably similar to that of
demophon
as follows : The eggs are white, globular and laid singly on Annonaceae or
Malpigiaceae. The larvae have a prominent thoracic hump, and are dark brown on
the thorax and below the spiracles, the remainder being pale brown. The head
bears a pair of stout recurved horns. The pupa is bluish green with irregular
white spots resembling lichen, and is ovoid in shape with a prominent thoracic
bulge. It is suspended by the cremaster from a leaf or twig.
Adult behaviour
The
butterflies have an agile and very powerful flight, and are only
active in hot sunny conditions. They commonly feed at sap
runs, and also attend carrion, dung and rotting fruit on the
forest floor.
Males often
sit facing head-downwards and with wings half open, on narrow tree
trunks at heights between about 2-4 metres, and from this position
watch for potential mates.
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