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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies and Skippers (Papilionoidea) » Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae) » Daggerwings, Map Butterflies (Cyrestinae) » Daggerwings (Marpesia) » Ruddy Daggerwing - Hodges#4550 (Marpesia petreus)

Species Marpesia petreus - Ruddy Daggerwing - Hodges#4550

Classification · Hodges Number · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · See Also · Internet References

Ruddy Daggerwing life cycle - Marpesia petreus - male

Ruddy Daggerwing - Marpesia petreus - male

Black and White Ruddy Daggerwing Chrysalis - Marpesia petreus

Orange Long-tailed Butterfly - Marpesia petreus

Yellow/green caterpillar with black spots/stripes/and spikes - Marpesia petreus

Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Superfamily Papilionoidea (Butterflies and Skippers)

Family Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)

Subfamily Cyrestinae (Daggerwings, Map Butterflies)

Genus Marpesia (Daggerwings)

Species petreus (Ruddy Daggerwing - Hodges#4550)

Hodges Number

4550

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Marpesia petreus (Cramer)

Orig. Comb: Papilio petreus Cramer 1776

Size

Wingspan 7-9.5 cm

Identification

Distinctive two-tone leaf-mimic underneath, orange with darker bars above. Spectactular "tails" on hindwings.

Range

stray n. to se. AZ to s. TX, peninsular FL / Mex. / W. Indies - Map (MPG)

Habitat

Tropical lowland forests, in Florida, "hardwood hammocks".

Season

year round in south Florida, most common May-July - MPG

Food

Adults take nectar from a variety of plants, such as Asclepias and Mikania.

Life Cycle

Larvae feed on fig, Ficus species. In Florida this is likely to be Strangler Fig, Ficus aurea.

See Also

Rare stray to FL Keys:

Marpesia eleuchea Hübner, 1818

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group - MPG

Butterflies of America - BOA

Dallas Butterflies

Contributed by Cotinis on 21 April, 2004 - 12:25am
Additional contributions by Mike Quinn, David Ferguson
Last updated 9 November, 2015 - 10:12pm

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