Memphis pithyusa

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Memphis pithyusa
Memphis pithyusa.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Tribe: Anaeini
Genus: Memphis
Species:
M. pithyusa
Binomial name
Memphis pithyusa
(R. Felder, 1869) [1]

Memphis pithyusa, known generally as the pale-spotted leafwing or blue leafwing, is a species of leafwing in the butterfly family Nymphalidae. It is found in southern North America. [2] [3] [4] and South America. It is similar to Memphis lemnos . The MONA or Hodges number for Memphis pithyusa is 4556. [5]

Contents

Subspecies

Description

Memphis pithyusa is a butterfly with a wingspan of 57 mm to 76 mm, with forewings with a concave outer edge and hindwings with a tail. The upper part is dark blue to brown, with a lighter basal part, blue or blue-green, and a submarginal line of light dots.The underside is light brown and simulates a dead leaf. It is the smallest form of this group. It differs from the similar species chiefly by the shape; distal margin and proximal margin of the forewings are much less deeply sinuous, so that the inner angle does not project so much; the apex of the forewings likewise decreases in intensity thereby. The female [not in errore] is, according to Druce, much larger than the female, the base of the wings is bluer and the spots on the forewings are larger and mostly white. In many places common. [7] [8] [9]


Biology

The dry season form flies from May to September, the wet season from November to March.

Host plants

The host plants of its caterpillar are Crotons (Euphorbiaceae) including Croton reflexifolius and Croton lucidus

Ecology and distribution

Memphis pithyusa is found in South Texas, Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Bolivia, and Guyana.Biotope - Memphis pithyusa resides in the various types of forest.

References

  1. R. Felder, 1869 Diagnosen neuer von dem K. K. Oberlieutenant H. v. Hedemann in Mexico in den Jahren 1865-1867 gesammelter Lepidopteren. Erste Folge Verh. zool.-bot. Ges. Wien. 19 : 465-480
  2. "Memphis pithyusa Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
  3. "Memphis pithyusa". GBIF. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
  4. "North American Moth Photographers Group, Memphis pithyusa" . Retrieved 2019-09-24.
  5. Hall,A., 1935 New forms of Nymphalinae and Ithomiinae Entomologist 68 : 221-227
  6. Röber, J. "ANAEA". In Seitz, Adalbert (ed.). The Macrolepidoptera of the world. Stuttgart: Fritz Lehmann Verlag. p. 586.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  7. D'Abrera, B. 1988. Butterflies of the Neotropical Region, Nymphalidae, Satyridae. Victoria: Hill House. Pp. 680-723.; present in Mexico, Guatemala, and Panama.
  8. Comstock, W. P.1961. Butterflies of the American Tropics: the genus Anaea. Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae. New York: Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 214pp,30pl.

Further reading