Agrias

For the fictional character Agrias Oaks, see Characters of Final Fantasy Tactics.
Arias
Agrias claudina - MHNT
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Charaxinae
Tribe: Preponini
Genus: Agrias
Doubleday, 1845
Species

5 or more, see text

Diversity
5 species

Agrias is a genus of charaxine nymphalid butterflies found in South and Central America.

The German lepidopterist Hans Fruhstorfer had this to say "In this magnificent tropical genus, upon which nature seems to have showered all her abundance of most brilliant colours, and which is, therefore, justly called the "princely race" of the Nymphalidae, we are most surprised to meet a repetition of two genera of not less abundant colours: the Callithea and Catagramma, except that the Agrias species greatly excel the latter in size and magnificent colours, and only the males of this genus bear a sexual distinction in the shape of a hair-brush on the hindwings. Some of them, like the famous A. sardanapalus, having been first discovered by Bates in the Amazon Valley, are of an absolutely charming beauty, and the contrast of its purple-red forewings beaming through a blue lustre hued over them as if in a violet purple gloss, with the brilliantly sapphire-blue hindwings, is undoubtedly one of the most magnificent sights that nature has ever produced in the whole world of butterflies."[1]

Prized by collectors, these large, showy butterflies have had hundreds of names applied to polymorphic variants.

Description

The species of the genus Agrias have, variously, very bright red, orange, iridescent blue and yellow colouration contrasting on the black or bluish background of their upperside wing. The underside wings are patterned. They have a robust appearance (broad thorax and short wide abdomen) allowing fast flight.The wingspan is 70mm. – 120 mm. Males of all Agrias species have prominent yellow tufts of androconial scales on the hindwings.These disperse pheromones for attracting suitable mates.

Biology

Adult Agrias live in the forest canopy, occasionally visiting the forest floor to feed on decomposing fruit.The butterflies always feed and rest with their wings closed, but if disturbed they may give a rapid flick of the wings, displaying the vivid colours of the upperside. Males establish territories and perch on tree trunks, branches, and even the ground.

Agrias larvae feed on Erythroxylum. The smooth and round eggs are laid singly on the leaves of the foodplant. The larvae are pale brownish, marked with lichen-green spots, have recurved "horns" on the head capsule and a bifid tail. They feed at night and spend the day on twigs. The pupa is pale green. It has a dorsal hump, and tapers sharply toward a stout cremaster and the bifid head. It is suspended from a stem or leaf of the foodplant.

Lowland forest Rio Huallaga, Peru

Habitat

Agrias are found in both lowland and montane tropical wet forests.Adults of Agrias amydon are also found in pasture habitats in the wet season but probably pass most, or all, of the long dry season in forest refugia. During the dry season, strong-flying A. amydon undoubtedly forage in open areas, only to return to sheltered retreats in response to thermal stress.

Mimicry

Agrias phalcidon is a Mullerian mimic with the Asterope (formerly Callithea) species complex.

Ecozone

Neotropic ecozone

See also Tropical Andes.

Systematics

  ▼ Preponini

Palla, Noreppa, Anaeomorpha (sometimes in Anaeini)

Archaeoprepona
Prepona


Agrias





Clade showing phylogenetics of Agrias

Hybrids

Species

The following species are accepted by the Atlas of Neotropical Lepidoptera.[2]

Other authors differ, for instance in regarding A. narcissus as a subspecies of A. aedon.

References

  1. ↑ Fruhstorfer, H. (1913). Family: Morphidae. In A. Seitz (editor), Macrolepidoptera of the World, vol. 5: 333–356. Stuttgart: Alfred Kernen.
  2. ↑ Lamas, G. (Ed.) (2004). Checklist: Part 4A. Hesperioidea-Papilionoidea. Gainesville, Florida: Association for Tropical Lepidoptera. ISBN 0-945417-28-4.

External links

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