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Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Flambeau
or
Red Daggerwing
Marpesia petreus
CRAMER,
1776
Family -
NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
CYRESTINAE
Tribe - CYRESTINI
introduction
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habitats |
lifecycle |
adult behaviour
Marpesia petreus, Rio Pindayo, Peru
Introduction
There
are
17 species in the genus
Marpesia,
all of which are confined to the neotropical region. They are closely allied to
the Cyrestis Map butterflies of tropical Africa and
Asia.
Many of the Marpesia species such as
crethon, corinna and
furcula bear a superficial resemblance to
Swallowtails ( Papilionidae ), sharing with them the characteristic long tails
on the hindwing, and the habit of "mud-puddling" in groups on river beaches.
They can be easily distinguished from them by examining the antennae - these are
straight in Daggerwings, but in Swallowtails the clubbed tip is strongly
recurved.
Marpesia petreus has a much more exaggerated wing
shape than the other Marpesia species, and is
instantly recognisable when settled on the ground. When seen in flight however
it can be easily confused with Dryas iulia, which
often occurs in the same habitats.
The Flambeau Daggerwing, also known as the Red Daggerwing or Tailed Flambeau, is
distributed from Florida to Bolivia.
Marpesia petreus, Rio Madre de
Dios, Peru
Habitats
This species is found in woodland and forest habitats in tropical and sub
tropical areas, at altitudes between sea level and about 1000m.
Lifecycle
The eggs are straw
coloured, and laid singly on leaves of the larval foodplants
Ficus ( Moraceae ). There are also dubious records
of Anacardium ( Anacardiaceae ) being used.
The caterpillar when fully grown is multicoloured - peppered with orange, yellow
and black spots, with a series of large yellow triangular markings along the
sides, and a single row of 4 stiff spines along the back. The head is large,
reddish in colour, and adorned with a pair of very long stiff horns. There is a
single row of 4 long spines along the back. The caterpillars feed diurnally and
rest on the upperside of Ficus leaves.
The chrysalis is white, with squarish black markings along the sides. It bear
several short black spines, and a long bifurcated spine on the thoracic hump. It
is suspended by the cremaster from a stem.
Marpesia petreus, Rio Madre de
Dios, Peru
Adult behaviour
Males can be seen either singly or in small groups of up to about
6 individuals, imbibing mineralised moisture from dry river beds,
sandbanks, and sometimes from forest roads. As with other
Marpesia species they tend to flit
from spot to spot, fanning their wings, and are nervous if
approached, but if temperatures are cool they sometimes feed and
bask with wings outspread.
Both sexes also
reportedly nectar at flowers of Cordia,
Croton, Lantana
and Mikania.
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