''Eryphanis automedon'', the Automedon giant owl, is a species of butterfly belonging to the family
Nymphalidae.
Description
''Eryphanis automedon'' has a wingspan reaching about . 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
Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...
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
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
to
the Guianas
The Guianas, sometimes called by the Spanish loan-word ''Guayanas'' (''Las Guayanas''), is a region in north-eastern South America which includes the following three territories:
* French Guiana, an overseas department and region of France
* ...
and
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
and from
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
to
Paraguay
Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
, at an elevation of above sea level.
Subspecies
The following subspecies are recognized:
"''Eryphanis'' Boisduval, 1870"
at Markku Savela's ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms''
*''Eryphanis automedon automedon'' (Suriname)
*''Eryphanis automedon lycomedon'' (C. & R. Felder, 1862) (Guatemala and Costa Rica to Colombia)
*''Eryphanis automedon amphimedon'' (C. & R. Felder, 1867) (Brazil)
*''Eryphanis automedon tristis'' Staudinger, 1887 (Peru)
*''Eryphanis automedon novicia'' Stichel, 1904 (Ecuador)
*''Eryphanis automedon cheiremon'' Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Bolivia)
*''Eryphanis automedon spintharus'' Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Colombia)
Eryphanis automedon MHNT male dos.jpg, ''Eryphanis automedon automedon'', male dorsal side - MHNT
Eryphanis automedon MHNT male ventre.jpg, ''Eryphanis automedon automedon'', male ventral side - MHNT
Eryphanis automedon MHNT femelle dos.jpg, ''Eryphanis automedon automedon'', female dorsal side - MHNT
Eryphanis automedon MHNT femelle ventre.jpg, ''Eryphanis automedon automedon'', female ventral side - MHNT
References
* Carla M. Penz
Phylogenetic Revision of Eryphanis Boisduval, with a Description of a New Species from Ecuador (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae)
- Insecta Mundi, 2008
BioLib.cz
Tree of Life
Catalogue of Life
* Retrieved April 20, 2018.
External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3057591
Morphinae
Nymphalidae of South America
Butterflies described in 1775
Fauna of Brazil
Taxa named by Pieter Cramer