Archaeoprepona chromus

Archaeoprepona chromus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Tribe:	Preponini
Genus:	Archaeoprepona
Species:	A. chromus
Binomial name
Archaeoprepona chromus (Guérin-Ménéville, 1844)
Synonyms
List Noreppa chromus(Guérin-Ménéville, 1844) Nymphalis (Prepona) chromusGuérin-Méneville, [1844] Prepona herculesDoubleday, 1848 ( nom. nud. ) Prepona herculesDoubleday, [1849] Prepona hercules ab. ochracea(Fassl, 1912) Prepona chromus fassliRöber, 1914 Prepona chromus chiliarchesFruhstorfer, 1916 Prepona chromus xenarchusFruhstorfer, 1916 Prepona chromus obsoletaOrfila, 1950 Prepona chromus f. synchromaStaudinger, 1886

Archaeoprepona chromus is a species of Neotropical charaxine butterflies in the family Nymphalidae, native to South America. It was observed to have an unusual for Nymphalidae behavior, in which it responds to an approaching predator with sagittal movements of its hindwings. ^[1]

Taxonomy

The following subspecies are recognised:

• Archaeoprepona chromus chromus(Guérin-Ménéville, 1844) (Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Peru, Argentina)
• Archaeoprepona chromus priene(Hewitson, 1869) (Colombia)

Description

The wingspan is about 85 mm. ^[2]

Distribution and habitat

Montane forest at 1500 to 2000 metres in the Neotropical realm.

Sangay National Park, Ecuador

References

1. Sourakov, A. (2015). "Antipredation and "antimimicry": wing pattern is supported by behavior in Archaeoprepona chromus (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Preponini)" (PDF). Association for Tropical Lepidoptera. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
2. Parque Nacional Sangay

• Rydon, AHB. 1971. The systematics of the Charaxidae (Lepidoptera: Nymphaloidea). Entomologist's Record 83: 219–233, 283–287, 310–316, 336–341, 384–388, 6 figs., 4 plates.