Parides alopius

White-dotted Cattleheart
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Papilionidae
Genus: Parides
Species: P. alopius
Binomial name
Parides alopius
(Godman & Salvin, 1890)

The White-dotted Cattleheart (Parides alopius) is an endemic Mexican butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It has also strayed once into the United States in southeastern Arizona.[1]

Contents

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Description

The upper side of the wings are black with the hind wing having two rows of submarginal spots: the first row, white; and the second row, pink. Males have fewer white spots than females. The underside of the wings are similar except the hind wing pink spots are more conspicuous.[1] It has a wingspan of 3-3.5 inches.[2]

Flight

This species has been seen on the wing from March-November.[2]

Habitat

The White-dotted Cattleheart may be encountered in pine-oak forests.[2]

Life cycle

The larva is ringed with black and white bands and has yellow and reddish-brown fleshy projections. Each side of the body contains red, orange, and white spots. The chrysalis is shaped very similar to that of the Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor). It is a blue-green color with the head, parts of the thorax, and abdomen a bright yellow-green color. It is unknown whether the chrysalis has a brown form or not.[3]

Host Plants

The only known recorded host plant for the White-dotted Cattleheart is Watson's Pipevine (Aristolochia watsonii).[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Jim P. Brock and Kenn Kaufman (2003). Butterflies of North America. Houghton Mifflin, New York, NY. ISBN 0-618-15312-8
  2. ^ a b c "White-dotted Cattleheart,"
  3. ^ "Parides alopius,"