Parides Erithalion

''Parides erithalion'', the variable cattleheart, is a North and South American butterfly in the family Papilionidae. The species was first described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1836.Glassberg, Jeffrey (2007). ''A Swift Guide to the Butterflies of Mexico and Central America''. Sunstreak Books Inc.

Description

The upperside of the wings is black with a row of red postmedian spots. The underside of the wings is also black with a row of pink and whitish spots.

In males of some subspecies the uppersides of the forewings have a large olivaceous-green patch from the inner margin forward, with a creamy-white spot, while hindwings have a band of three red spots. Fringe in both sexes is dotted with white.

Subspecies

* ''P. e. erithalion'' (C. Colombia)
* ''P. e. trichopus'' (Rothschild & Jordan, 1906) (Mexico)
* ''P. e. zeuxis'' (Lucas, 1852) (northern Venezuela)
* ''P. e. erlaces'' (Gray, 1853) (southern Peru, northern Bolivia, Paraguay, northern Argentina)
* ''P. e. polyzelus'' (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1865) (Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras)
* ''P. e. lacydes'' (Hewitson, 1869) (eastern Ecuador)
* ''P. e. sadyattes'' (H. Druce, 1874) (Costa Rica)
* ''P. e. cauca'' (Oberthür, 1879) (western Colombia)
* ''P. e. xanthias'' (Rothschild & Jordan, 1906) (Peru)
* ''P. e. chinchipensis'' (Joicey & Talbot, 1918) (northern Peru)
* ''P. e. kruegeri'' (Niepelt, 1927) (southern Colombia)
* ''P. e. guillerminae'' Pischedda & Racheli, 1986 (northeastern Ecuador)
* ''P. e. yaminahua'' Pischedda & Racheli, 1987 (southern Peru)
* ''P. e. keithi'' Racheli, 1991 (southwestern Venezuela)
* ''P. e. palmasensis'' Brown, 1994 (western Ecuador)
* ''P. e. smalli'' Brown, 1994 (Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama)
* ''P. e. callegarii'' Racheli & Racheli, 1996 (Peru)
* ''P. e. inini'' Brévignon, 1998 (French Guiana)
* ''P. e. racheliorum'' Lamas, 1998 (Peru)
* ''P. e. blanca'' Racheli & Möhn, 2001 (Peru)
* ''P. e. browni'' Le Crom, Constantino & Salazar, 2002 (northeastern Colombia)
* ''P. e. chocoensis'' Constantino, Le Crom & Salazar, 2002 (western Colombia)

Description from Seitz

''P. erithalion''. Male: tibiae not thickened. Hindwing without distinct red spot behind the 2. median on the upper surface. Female: the spot before the 1. median of the forewing smaller than the preceding spot; band on the hindwing broad, pale on the innerside. Costa Rica to North Venezuela. — ''zeuxis'' Luc. (= ''rhameses'' Doubl., ''rhesus'' Koll., ''rhamases'' Fldr., ''abilius'' Fldr., rhamses Boisd.) (4a). Male: the green area much narrowed anteriorly, enclosing a large white spot before the 2. median; hindwing with 2 or 3 small red spots. Female: the posterior spot of the forewing larger than the preceding one. North Venezuela and eastern side of the Cordillera of Bogota. — ''erithalion'' Boisd. (4a) from Central Colombia (Rio Magdalena) has in the male rarely a white spot on the forewing, which is placed before the 1. median or between the radials. Female: the spot before the 1. median smaller than the preceding one; generally a few small spots outside the cell. — ''cauca'' Oberth. Male: the green area of the forewing wanting or merely indicated. Female: band on the hindwing narrow, curved, separated from the cell. Cauca valle — ''sadyattes'' Druce (4a). Male: the green area very variable, generally reduced, often wanting; all specimens with at least one white spot, which is placed before or behind the 3. radial, often a green spot in the cell. Female: band of the hindwing almost unicolorous bright red. Costa Rica to Panama.

File:Macrolepidoptera15seit 0017.jpg, Seitz

Description from Rothschild and Jordan (1906)

A full description is provided by Walter Rothschild and Karl Jordan (1906). Note: Here ''polyzelus'' is treated as a full species and ''trichopus'' is ''P. z. trichopus''.

Life cycle

The eggs are a brownish color. The caterpillar is brownish black with white and reddish-brown tubercles.

Host plants

The variable cattleheart feeds on ''Aristolochia cordiflora''.

Status

It is common local species and not threatened.

Taxonomy

''Parides erithalion'' is a member of the ''anchises'' species groupEdwin Möhn, 2007 ''Butterflies of the World'', Part 26: Papilionidae XIII. ''Parides'' Verlag Goecke & Evers Verlag Goecke & Evers

The members are
*'' Parides anchises''
*''Parides cutorina''
*''Parides erithalion''
*'' Parides iphidamas''
*'' Parides panares''
*'' Parides phosphorus''
*''Parides vertumnus''

References

External links

"''Parides erithalion polyzelus'' (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1865) (Variable Cattleheart) Immatures"
''Butterflies of America''. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
*
"''Parides erithalion'' (Boisduval, 1836)"
''Insecta.pro''. Retrieved February 6, 2020.

{{Taxonbar , from=Q7137036

erithalion
Butterflies of North America
Butterflies of Central America
Papilionidae of South America
Butterflies described in 1836