Doxocopa cyane
Species of butterfly
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Doxocopa cyane, the Mexican emperor or cyan emperor, is a species of butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.[1]
| Doxocopa cyane | |
|---|---|
| |
| Male | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Doxocopa |
| Species: | D. cyane |
| Binomial name | |
| Doxocopa cyane (Latreille, 1813) | |
| Synonyms | |
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List
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Subspecies
Subspecies include:[2]
- Doxocopa cyane burmeisteri (Godman & Salvin, 1884) (Argentina)
- Doxocopa cyane cyane (Latreille, 1813) (Peru, Venezuela, Bolivia)
- Doxocopa cyane mexicana Bryk, 1953 (Mexico, Colombia)
- Doxocopa cyane vespertina Lamas, 1999 (Peru)
Distribution
Habitat
These butterflies inhabit cloudforest at elevations between about 600–1,800 metres (2,000–5,900 ft) above sea level.[4]
Description
Doxocopa cyane has a wingspan of about 55 millimetres (2.2 in).[5] The color of the wings varies by sex. Males show a brilliant electric-blue iridescence on the upperside of the wings, while the wings of the females lack this iridescence. Females have usually a brown ground color with wide longitudinal bands of orange and white on forewings and hindwings.[4]
Biology
Larvae feed on Celtis spinosa.[3][4] Males are solitary and territorial. They usually visit wet muddy patches and feed on rotting fruits, dung or carrion. Females mainly inhabit the forest canopy.[4]
