Dryadula
Dryadula phaetusa
Margarita Beltrán and Andrew V. Z. Brower
Introduction
A monotypic genus distributed throughout the continental neotropics. The genus is recognized by having shorter and broader wings than other heliconiines, comparatively short antennae, and an androconical patch in the males.
Characteristics
Early stages: Eggs are yellow and approximately 1.7 x 1.1 mm (h x w). Females place eggs singly mostly on leaves, and on the base of the stem of the host plant (Brown, 1981). The larvae are almost unicolored, spiny and gregarious feeders. Mature larvae are dull purple with many short bristly spines; head capsule dark purple with two semi-knobbed head horns (DeVries, 1997).
Habits
Dryadula is an inhabitant of disturbed areas in the lowlands, and it is hardly ever found in association with forest and occurs infrequently from sea level to 1,200 m. Sporadically found to roost gregariously at night (DeVries, 1981).
Hostplant: Dryadula larvae feed primarily on plants from the subgenus Distephana and Granadilla (Passifloraceae)(Brown, 1981). In Costa Rica larvae feed on Passiflora talamacensis (Passifloraceae) (DeVries, 1997).
References
Brown K. S. 1981 The Biology of Heliconius and Related Genera. Annual Review of Entomology 26, 427-456.
DeVries P. J. 1997 The Butterflies of Costa Rica and Their Natural History, Volume I: Papilionidae, Pieridae, Nymphalidae Princeton University Press, Baskerville, USA.
Michener CD. 1942. A generic revision of the Heliconiinae (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae). Amer. Mus. Novit. 1197: 1-8.
Title Illustrations
| Scientific Name | Dryadula phaetusa |
|---|---|
| Specimen Condition | Live Specimen |
| Source | Bandedorange |
| Source Collection | Flickr |
| Image Use |
 This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License - Version 2.0.
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| Copyright | © 2006 Myrte |
| Scientific Name | Dryadula phaetusa |
|---|---|
| Specimen Condition | Dead Specimen |
| Sex | Male |
| View | dorsal |
| Collection | Gerardo Lamas |
| Image Use |
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|
| Copyright |
©
|
| Scientific Name | Dryadula phaetusa |
|---|---|
| Specimen Condition | Dead Specimen |
| Sex | Male |
| View | ventral |
| Collection | Gerardo Lamas |
| Image Use |
This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License - Version 3.0.
|
| Copyright |
©
|
About This Page
University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA
Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Margarita Beltrán at and Andrew V. Z. Brower at
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Dryadula . Dryadula phaetusa .
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- First online 21 February 2007
- Content changed 04 September 2008
Citing this page:
Beltrán, Margarita and Andrew V. Z. Brower. 2008. Dryadula . Dryadula phaetusa . Version 04 September 2008 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Dryadula_phaetusa/70436/2008.09.04 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/
