Anartia jatrophae

White peacock
A. j. jatrophae, Tobago
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Tribe: Victorinini
Genus: Anartia
Species: A. jatrophae
Binomial name
Anartia jatrophae
(Linnaeus, 1763)

The white peacock (Anartia jatrophae) is a species of butterfly found in the southeastern United States, Central America, and throughout much of South America.

The males of the species display a unique territorial behavior, in which they stake out a territory typically 15 meters in diameter that contains larval host plants. They perch in this area and aggressively protect it from other insects and other male white peacocks.[1]

References

  1. Melissa A. Barger, Daniel J. Madigan, Timothy R. Matsuura and Chad M. Valderrama, 2005 Aggressive behavior in the butterfly Anartia jatrophae. Dartmouth Studies in Tropical Ecology 2005

External links

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