Order Butterflies and moths | Rank Species | |
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Similar Eryphanis, Butterflies and moths, Opoptera, Catoblepia, Brassolini | ||
Handling eryphanis automedon syn polyxena
Eryphanis automedon, common name Automedon giant owl, is a species of butterflies belonging to the Nymphalidae family.
Contents
- Handling eryphanis automedon syn polyxena
- Close up caterpillar eating bamboo eryphanis automedon syn polyxena
- Description
- Distribution
- Subspecies
- References
Close up caterpillar eating bamboo eryphanis automedon syn polyxena
Description
Eryphanis automedon has a wingspan reaching about 55–60 millimetres (2.2–2.4 in). In males the dorsal sides of the wings show night blue iridescent patches, extending from submedial to postmedial areas, with well defined borders separating the non-iridescent sections. Ventral sides vary from faded brown to caramel color, with various eyespots. The female wingspan is slightly larger, with a slightly different wing color pattern.
This butterfly can live up to six weeks and flies in the dark forests of Latin America. It is a fast flying butterfly. The caterpillars are cryptically colored and feed at night on Poaceae host plants (mainly bamboo leaves), of which the elongated chrysalis mimics the appearance of a dried leaf.
Distribution
This butterfly is native to South America. It is present from Venezuela to the Guianas and Brazil and from Colombia to Paraguay, at an elevation of 0–1,000 metres (0–3,281 ft) above sea level.
Subspecies
The following subspecies are recognised: