Parides montezuma

Montezuma's Cattleheart
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Papilionidae
Genus:	Parides
Species:	P. montezuma
Binomial name
Parides montezuma (Westwood, 1842)

Montezuma's Cattleheart (Parides montezuma) is a butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is native to the Americas.

Description

The upper side of the wings is black, without a band and with one row of red crescents along the hind wing margin. The underside of the wings is almost the same as the upper side.^[1][2]

Distribution and habitat

P. montezuma is found in dry forests from Mexico to Costa Rica, occurring from sea level to 700 metres (2,300 ft). It is rare in Costa Rica, being more common northward. It is not threatened.^[3]

Host plants

• Aristolochia acanthophylla
• Aristolochia foetida – Jalisco Dutchman's Pipe
• Aristolochia grandiflora – Pelican Flower
• Aristolochia micrantha
• Aristolochia orbicularis

Etymology

The specific epithet honours the Aztec king Montezuma.

References

1. Glassberg, Jeffrey (2007). A Swift Guide to the Butterflies of Mexico and Central America. Sunstreak Books Inc. ISBN 978-1-4243-0915-3.
2. Lewis, H. L., 1974 Butterflies of the World ISBN 0-245-52097-X Page 26, figure 15
3. name="Threatened">Collins, N. Mark; Collins, Michael G. (1985). Threatened Swallowtails of the World:the IUCN red data book. IUCN Protected Area Programme Series. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, U.K.: IUCN. p. 67. ISBN 978-2-88032-603-6.

External links

• Savela, Markku. "Parides montezuma". funet.fi. Retrieved 5 December 2010.