''Myscelia cyaniris'', the blue wave, blue-banded purplewing, tropical blue wave, whitened bluewing, or royal blue, is a
butterfly
Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises ...
of the family
Nymphalidae
The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. Belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea, they are usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species have a re ...
.
Description
The length of the forewings reaches about . The dorsal sides of the upper wings are bright blue with white transversal bands and white spots. The sapphire blue of the upper wings may appear black or neon blue depending on how the light is reflected. The undersides of the hindwings have a
cryptic
Cryptic may refer to:
In science:
* Cryptic species complex, a group of species that are very difficult to distinguish from one another
* Crypsis, the ability of animals to blend in to avoid observation
* Cryptic era, earliest period of the Earth
...
coloration, as they are mottled with different shades of color, varying from gray to brown, while the under sides of the forewings are black with white patches. The larvae feed on ''
Dalechampia triphylla
''Dalechampia triphylla'' is a vine in the family Euphorbiaceae. It is native to tropical South America.
Ecology
''Dalechampia triphylla'' is the food plant of the larvae of several species of "cracker" butterflies. ''Hamadryas feronia'' and '' ...
'' and ''
Adelia triloba
''Adelia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, subfamily Acalyphoideae. It is native to Latin America and the Caribbean, with one species extending northward into the southernmost part of Texas.
The name is der ...
'' (family
Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family, is a large family of flowering plants. In English, they are also commonly called euphorbias, which is also the name of a genus in the family. Most spurges, such as '' Euphorbia paralias'', are herbs, but some, ...
). Adults usually feed on rotting fruit and animal dung.
Distribution
It is found in
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
and northern
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the souther ...
, from
Mexico
Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...
to
Honduras,
Costa Rica,
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
,
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in ...
,
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar language, Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechuan ...
, and
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
.
Habitat
It is found from sea level to on the Atlantic slopes and is associated with rainforest habitats.
Species info
/ref>
Gallery
Royalblue1.jpg, Dorsal view
Myscelia_cyaniris-01_(xndr).jpg, On leaf
Subspecies
* ''M. c. albescens'' Hall, 1935 – (Venezuela)
* ''M. c. alvaradia'' Maza & Díaz, 1982 – (Mexico)
* ''M. c. cyaniris'' – (Mexico to Panama, Honduras, Costa Rica)
* ''M. c. millerorum'' Jenkins, 1984 – (Ecuador)
References
External links
*
*
Biblidinae
Nymphalidae of South America
Butterflies described in 1848
{{Biblidinae-stub