Cethosia biblis
| Red Lacewing | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Cethosia |
| Species: | C. biblis |
| Binomial name | |
| Cethosia biblis (Drury, 1773) | |
The Red Lacewing (Cethosia biblis) is a species of heliconiine butterfly belonging to the Nymphalidae family.
Description
Cethosia biblis is medium-sized butterfly, with a wingspan reaching about 8–9 centimetres (3.1–3.5 in). In this species the sexes are dimorphic. In males the dorsal sides of the wings are bright orange-red, framed by a black outline with white spots. The undersides range from bright red to pale brown, interlaced by black and white. This astonishing pattern helps to disguise the shape of the butterfly, while the intense colour of the dorsal sides of the wings is a warning to predators that the Red Lacewing has a bad taste, deriving from the poisonous host plants of the caterpillars. The dorsal sides of the wings of the females are grayish-brownish with black spots and white bands and spots on the black margins.
Caterpillars have several reddish, black and white stripes, a black head and long black spikes that contain poison. In fact they mainly feed on poisonous climbing plants, mainly Passiflora species (Passiflora cochinchinensis, Passiflora moluccana, etc.).
Distribution
This species can be found from the Indian Subcontinent eastwards to Southeast Asia and East Asia, the eastern limit being the Philippines, and the southern limit being to Indonesia. [1]
Gallery
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Ventral view of Cethosia biblis
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Dorsal view of Cethosia biblis
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Cethosia biblis
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Subspecies
- Cethosia biblis biblis - Assam, C. India – SW. China
- Cethosia biblis insularis C. & R. Felder, 1861 - Philippines (Luzon, Polillo, ?Babuyanes)
- Cethosia biblis nicobarica Felder, 1862 - Nicobar?
- Cethosia biblis picta C. & R. Felder, [1867] - Sulawesi
- Cethosia biblis javana C. & R. Felder, [1867] - Java
- Cethosia biblis logani Distant, 1881 – E. Sumatra
- Cethosia biblis tambora (Doherty, 1891) - Sumbawa
- Cethosia biblis narmada Fruhstorfer, 1896 - Lombok
- Cethosia biblis narmadoides de Nicéville, 1898 - Bali
- Cethosia biblis perakana Fruhstorfer, 1902 – S. Thailand, Peninsular Malaya, Pulau Tioman
- Cethosia biblis ceramensis Fruhstorfer, 1902 - Serang
- Cethosia biblis atia Fruhstorfer, 1905 - Kalao
- Cethosia biblis alceste Fruhstorfer, 1905 - Bawean
- Cethosia biblis hainana Fruhstorfer, 1908 - Hainan
- Cethosia biblis tisamena Fruhstorfer, 1912 - India
- Cethosia biblis phanaroia Fruhstorfer - Hong Kong
- Cethosia biblis adantonia Fruhstorfer – W. Sumatra
- Cethosia biblis sumbana Pagenstecher - Sumba
- Cethosia biblis floresiana Fruhstorfer - Flores
- Cethosia biblis sandakana Fruhstorfer - Borneo, ?Palawan
- Cethosia biblis liacura Fruhstorfer - Philippines (Mindanao)
- Cethosia biblis tagalorum Fruhstorfer - Philippines (Mindoro)
- Cethosia biblis togiana Fruhstorfer - Togian Is.
- Cethosia biblis buruana Holland - Buru
- Cethosia biblis amboinensis C. & R. Felder, [1867] - Ambon
- Cethosia biblis andamanica Stichel - Andaman?
- Cethosia biblis pemanggilensis Eliot, 1978 – Pemanggil [1]
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cethosia biblis. |
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Wikispecies has information related to: Cethosia biblis |
- Treadaway, C.G. & H.G. Schroeder, 2009: A study of the subspecies of Cethosia biblis (Drury, 1773) from the Philippines (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). Nachr. entomol. Ver. Apollo N.F. 29 (4): 193-198.