Orion Cecropian (Historis odius dious) Parque Nacional Soberanía, Panama
A leaf mimic, this large butterfly (4 inches or 11cm) never strays far from its host tree, Cecropia peltata, where it spends its entire life-cycle. Females lay their eggs on the undersides of the cecropia leaves and males perch head-down on the trunk and tree branches where they look out for intruders and defend their territory. When they fly out, they flash their bright orange upper side startling predators as well as butterfly watchers.
Its larva has an ingenious way of defending itself against predators, mostly resident Azteca ants, by building a silk resting platform with a dangling frass chain that discourages predators from approaching it. If a predator still tries to venture out on this repulsive structure, the larva expels an odiferous chemical. Such complex defensive method is perhaps the reason this species earns its scientific epitaph "odius".
Only one sighting of this species. Regrettably, this individual is worn missing the beautiful violet frosting and parts of its leaf-mimicking wings.
Family Nymphalidae; sub-family Nymphalinae (related to Admirals and Crescents, not Leafwings -Charaxinae- with only two species in the genus Historis)
Orion Cecropian (Historis odius dious) Parque Nacional Soberanía, Panama
A leaf mimic, this large butterfly (4 inches or 11cm) never strays far from its host tree, Cecropia peltata, where it spends its entire life-cycle. Females lay their eggs on the undersides of the cecropia leaves and males perch head-down on the trunk and tree branches where they look out for intruders and defend their territory. When they fly out, they flash their bright orange upper side startling predators as well as butterfly watchers.
Its larva has an ingenious way of defending itself against predators, mostly resident Azteca ants, by building a silk resting platform with a dangling frass chain that discourages predators from approaching it. If a predator still tries to venture out on this repulsive structure, the larva expels an odiferous chemical. Such complex defensive method is perhaps the reason this species earns its scientific epitaph "odius".
Only one sighting of this species. Regrettably, this individual is worn missing the beautiful violet frosting and parts of its leaf-mimicking wings.
Family Nymphalidae; sub-family Nymphalinae (related to Admirals and Crescents, not Leafwings -Charaxinae- with only two species in the genus Historis)