''Atlantea tulita'' is a rare species of

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

known by the common name Puerto Rico harlequin butterflyUS Fish and Wildlife Service Species Assessment and Listing Priority Assignment Form.
USFWS (in Spanish, ''mariposa arlequín de Puerto Rico'' or ''quebradillana''). This

brush-footed butterfly The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. Belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea, they are usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species have a redu ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

. It is a candidate for United States federal protection as an endangered species. In 2011 a report found federal protection to be warranted, but it was precluded by other actions and it remains a candidate.Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; 12-Month finding on a petition to list Puerto Rican Harlequin Butterfly as endangered.
USFWS This butterfly has a wingspan of about 6 centimeters. The wings have a scattered

harlequin Harlequin (; it, Arlecchino ; lmo, Arlechin, Bergamasque dialect, Bergamasque pronunciation ) is the best-known of the ''zanni'' or comic servant characters from the Italian language, Italian ''commedia dell'arte'', associated with the city o ...

pattern of orange, black, red, and white. This species was described in 1877 from specimens collected in Quebradillas. Its historical range includes this municipality as well as Arecibo, Maricao, Sabana Grande, and Peñuelas. Only two populations remain today, those around Quebradillas and Maricao. It can be found in the

Maricao Commonwealth Forest Maricao State Forest ( Spanish: ''Bosque Estatal de Maricao'') is a state forest located in the eastern Cordillera Central mountains of Puerto Rico. It is commonly known as ''Monte del Estado'' due to the fact that it was one of the first forest ...

. The total population has been estimated to be fewer than 70

imago In biology, the imago (Latin for "image") is the last stage an insect attains during its metamorphosis, its process of growth and development; it is also called the imaginal stage, the stage in which the insect attains maturity. It follows the f ...

es (adults) at any given time. This butterfly lives in subtropical moist and wet forest habitat. The substrate is limestone and

serpentine Serpentine may refer to: Shapes * Serpentine shape, a shape resembling a serpent * Serpentine curve, a mathematical curve * Serpentine, a type of riding figure Science and nature * Serpentine subgroup, a group of minerals * Serpentinite, a ...

. The flora of the region includes '' Oplonia spinosa'' (prickly bush), '' Coccoloba uvifera'' (sea grape), ''

Bourreria succulenta ''Bourreria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae. Members of the genus are commonly known as strongbark or strongback. The generic name was chosen by Patrick Browne to honour German pharmacist Johann Ambrosius Beur ...

'' (''palo de vaca''), ''

Lantana camara ''Lantana camara'' (common lantana) is a species of flowering plant within the verbena family (Verbenaceae), native to the American tropics. It is a very adaptable species, which can inhabit a wide variety of ecosystems; once it has been introduc ...

'' (''cariaquillo''), '' Lantana involucrata'' (buttonsage), ''

Randia aculeata ''Randia aculeata'', commonly known as white indigoberry or white indigo berry, is a species in the Rubiaceae. It is a shrub or small tree that grows from 2 to 6 m tall. ''R. aculeata'' is native to Florida, Bermuda, the Bahamas, elsewhere a ...

'' (''tintillo''), '' Vernonia albicaulis'' (Santa Maria), '' Poitea paucifolia'' (''retama''), ''

Leucaena leucocephala ''Leucaena leucocephala'' is a small fast-growing Mimosoideae, mimosoid tree native to southern Mexico and northern Central America (Belize and Guatemala) and is now naturalized throughout the tropics including parts of Asia. Common names inc ...

'' (leucaena), ''

Chromolaena odorata ''Chromolaena odorata'' is a tropical and subtropical species of flowering shrub in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the Americas, from Florida and Texas in the United States south through Mexico and the Caribbean to South America. It ...

'' (Siam weed), '' Erithalis fructicosa'' (blacktorch), '' Distictis lactifolia'' (''liana fragante''), '' Bidens pilosa'' (Spanish needle), '' Croton rigidus'' (''adormidera''), ''

Stachytarpheta jamaicensis ''Stachytarpheta jamaicensis'' is a species of plant in the family Verbenaceae, native throughout the Caribbean, including Florida. It has many common names including blue porterweed, blue snake weed, bastard vervain, Brazilian tea, Jamaica verv ...

'' (blue porterweed), '' Stigmaphyllon emarginatum'' (bull reed), and ''

Tabebuia heterophylla ''Tabebuia heterophylla'' is a species of tree native to the Caribbean, and is also cultivated. It is also known as Roble blanco, pink manjack, pink trumpet tree, white cedar, and whitewood. Description ''Tabebuia heterophylla'' grows up to 20 ...

'' (''roble''). The butterfly is considered a specialist species. The prickly bush, ''Oplonia spinosa'', is the butterfly's only host for

oviposition The ovipositor is a tube-like organ used by some animals, especially insects, for the laying of eggs. In insects, an ovipositor consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages. The details and morphology of the ovipositor vary, but typical ...

, and it only lays eggs on the new green stems of the plant. Then the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

e feed upon this plant species. Adult butterflies feed mostly on other plant species. This rare butterfly is threatened by a number of factors, the most important of which is

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

and modification caused by

urban development Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...

in the species' region. The species' host plant is being removed. The area has high value for

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

-related construction. Also, the butterfly has what is considered "low reproductive capacity". Other threats include fire, herbicides, pesticides, and

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

References

External links

*
El ciclo de vida de la mariposa arlequín de Puerto Rico (Atlantea tulita)
', an illustrated poster from the USFWS, ''en Español'' *Vélez, A.
Modelando la distribución de Atlantea tulita: especie endémica en peligro de extinción en Puerto Rico.
' ''en Español'' {{Taxonbar, from=Q5350643 Melitaeini Insects of Puerto Rico Butterflies described in 1877 Taxa named by Hermann Dewitz