''Hamadryas iphthime'', the ringless blue cracker or brownish cracker, is a species of cracker butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It was first described by Henry Walter Bates in 1864. It is found in Mexico, Central America and parts of northern South America.

Description

The wingspan of the ringless blue cracker is approximately . The upper surface of the wings is mottled grey, brown and white. There is no red bar on the forewing and the hindwing has submarginal black spots, surrounded by blue, brown and blue rings, and with a central white crescent or oval. The under surface of the wings is whitish, with black rings near the hind margin that resemble those of ''

Hamadryas feronia ''Hamadryas feronia'', the blue cracker or variable cracker, is a species of cracker butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in the southern parts of North America and South America and southwards Brazil. Description ''Hamadryas fer ...

''. The larvae are black with fine longitudinal yellow lines, which may be indistinct, pale spines and two horns on the head. The pupae are bright green with some bands of white and a silvery rim to the yellowish-green wings. The heads of the pupae have a pair of elongated "rabbit ears", green with a white seam, forming a V-shape.

Distribution and habitat

The range of the ringless blue cracker extends from Mexico, through Costa Rica and Panama, to Guyana, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and southern Brazil, with a single individual being reported as a vagrant in Texas. This butterfly occurs in glades and on the edges of tropical forests. The larvae feed on vines in the family Euphorbiaceae, ''

Dalechampia triphylla ''Dalechampia triphylla'' is a vine in the family Euphorbiaceae. It is native to tropical South America. Ecology ''Dalechampia triphylla'' is the food plant of the larvae of several species of "cracker" butterflies. ''Hamadryas feronia'' and '' ...

'', '' Dalechampia ficifolia'' and '' Dalechampia stipulacea'' being

host A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it. Host may also refer to: Places * Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County People *Jim Host (born 1937), American businessman * Michel Host ...

plants in Brazil, and '' Dalechampia cissifolia'' in Panama.

Ecology

The eggs are laid on the underside of leaves of the host plant and the larvae feed on the leaves and are not gregarious. They rest in an unusual position with only the prolegs touching the leaf blade, and the head with their horns projecting forward. The adults feed on rotting fruit and do not visit flowers. They have a habit of perching on the trunks of trees in a head-down position with their wings spread out in close contact with the bark. When another butterfly approaches, a male will dart away from the trunk, making a cracking sound. This appears to be a mechanism that helps males to distinguish the sex of the new arrival; males will click in response while females remain silent. At night the butterflies roost separately among foliage. In the tropics, the adults are on the wing most of the year. In Mexico, they are most frequently seen during July and August.

Subspecies

*''H. iphthime iphthime'' (Costa Rica to Colombia, Brazil io Grande do Sul, Mato Grosso Bolivia) *''H. iphthime joannae'' Jenkins, 1983 (Mexico)

References

External links

*Original description as ''Ageronia iphthime'': {{Taxonbar, from=Q3126319 Hamadryas (butterfly) Butterflies of North America Butterflies of Central America Butterflies described in 1864 Nymphalidae of South America Taxa named by Henry Walter Bates Lepidoptera of Peru Lepidoptera of Colombia Lepidoptera of Bolivia Lepidoptera of Guyana