Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Nymphalidae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Zeuxidia | |
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Similar Zeuxidia, Zeuxidia aurelius, Butterflies and moths, Thaumantis diores, Amathusia phidippus | ||
Zeuxidia amethystus, the common Saturn, is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. This butterfly is relatively large and striking. It displays its forewings that have a broad iridescent blue band with a similar blue patch on the hindwing. It is not abundant in Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo. It has only be observed in dense forests. It can be approached while feeding on fermenting fallen fruits. Its flight period extends from May to September. It obtains minerals using mud-puddling behavior and seem to be prefer ammonium ions rather than sodium.
It is sometimes collected and displayed as fine wall art.
References
Zeuxidia amethystus Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA