| Lycorea ilione | |
|---|---|
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| Lycorea ilione phenarete | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Lycorea |
| Species: | L. ilione |
| Binomial name | |
| Lycorea ilione Cramer, 1775 | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
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Lycorea ilione, the clearwing mimic queen is a species of nymphalid butterfly in the subfamily Danainae. The species was first described by Pieter Cramer in 1775. [2]
Subspecies include: [2]
This species is present in Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia and Peru. [2] It occurs in the transitional rainforest and cloudforest, at an elevation of 500–1,500 metres (1,600–4,900 ft) above sea level. [4]
Lycorea ilione can reach a wingspan of about 10 cm (3.9 in). It is an extremely variable species. These large and strongly marked butterflies show yellow-tipped antennae and black thorax with white dots and gray abdomen. All wings are rounded, with forewings much longer than the hindwings and with concave inner edge. The wings are transparent, bordered with black, with black veins and dark bands dividing the wings into several areas. Some subspecies are brown with brown basal part of the forewings.
The larvae mainly feed on Ficus species ( F. benjamina , F. carica and F. pumila ), but also on Jacaratia hasslerina , Carica papaya and Myoporum lactum . [2] Males feed on Senecio , Eupatorium and Neomiranda flowers from which they obtain alkaloids used for chemical defense, as these toxins cause nausea in birds that prey them. [4]
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