Dryadula phaetusa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| iDryadula phaetusa | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| | ||||||||||||||||
| Dryadula phaetusa (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Dryadula phaetusa, also known as the Banded Orange Heliconian, Banded Orange, or Orange Tiger, is a species of butterfly (an insect). The sole representative of its genus, the Banded Orange Heliconian is native from Brazil to central Mexico, and in summer can be found rarely as far north as central Kansas. Its wingspan ranges from 86 to 89 mm, and it is colored a bright orange with thick black stripes in males, and a duller orange with fuzzier black stripes in females.
It feeds primarily on the nectar of flowers and bird droppings, and its caterpillar forms hosts in passion vines including Passiflora tetrastylis. It is generally found in lowland tropical fields and valleys.
[edit] External links
- Minnesota Zoo's Butterfly Garden - features the Dryadula phaetusa butterfly.
[edit] References
- Dryadula phaetusa, Butterflies of North America, from the United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center.
 | This butterfly-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
