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Species Urania fulgens - Hodges#7658
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Geometroidea (Geometrid and Swallowtail Moths)
Family Uraniidae (Swallowtail Moths)
Subfamily Uraniinae
Genus Urania
Species fulgens (Urania fulgens - Hodges#7658)
Other Common Names Urania swallowtail moth Synonyms and other taxonomic changes Urania Fabricius, 1807
Urania fulgens Walker, 1854
The author is often listed in parentheses: "(Walker)" but this is incorrect as Walker placed fulgens in Urania in his original description. Explanation of Names urani - Greek for the heavens
fulgen - Latin for flash, gleam (1)Numbers 1 sp. n. of Mex. (2), (second sp. reportedly taken on oil platform off the coast of Louisiana) Range TX (as far north as Dallas), FL (3 records) / Breeds: Veracruz, Mexico, throughout Central America to northern Ecuador west of the Andes Season TX Records: Apr (3), May (1), Jun (1), Jul (a migration), Aug (9), Sep (2), Oct (2), Nov (3), Dec (3) - TexasEnto
In Costa Rica and Panama, the first population movements may begin in July and early August and, depending on the year, may be very massive indeed, continuing unabated for as long as five months. (Smith 1983b) Food Omphalea diandra, O. oleifera (Euphorbiaceae), occurs as far north as Veracruz, Mexico (Smith 1983a) Life Cycle Urania fulgens, like all uraniids, undergoes population explosions and massive migrations that may be unsurpassed by any other insect in the Neotropics. (Smith 1983b)
Smith (1983a) reports "big or very big" Urania flights every 5.8 yrs in C. and northern S. America betw. 1901-1981. Remarks In July 1939 at San Benito, Cameron Co., Texas, Jack B. Prentiss observed a migration of U. fulgens during the morning hours, in a pasture behind his home. In a personal communication he stated, "The flight was rather extensive; there were always a few in sight for the better part of 4 hours. They were all flying in a due north direction. During the height of the flight they were rather numerous; 20 to 30 could be seen at one time. Most were flying too high to be netted and all were flying fast. Those flying low were most elusive and one had but a single chance to net them. During the course of the flight I did manage to take 2 specimens; one was in extremely good condition, the other only fair. (Kendall, 1978) Print References Emmel, T.C. & V.J. Farkas. 1974. Urania fulgens (Uranidae) captured in Florida. Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society, 28: 292. Full PDF
Kendall, R.O. 1978. Periodic occurrence of Urania fulgens (Uraniidae) in the United States. Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 32(4): 307-309. Full PDF
Leussler, R.A. 1918. Interesting butterfly occurrences at Beeville, Texas (Lep.). Entomological News 29(4): 149. Full Text
Smith, N.G. 1983a. Host plant toxicity and migration in the dayflying moth Urania. Florida Entomologist 66(1):76-85. Full PDF
Smith, N.G. 1983b. Urania fulgens (Calipato Verde, Green Urania). In: Janzen, D.H. (editor) Costa Rican Natural History, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 816 pp.
Walker, F. 1854. Catalogue of Lepidoptera Heterocera. List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum. 1: 1-278. ( Pg. 5) Internet References Texas Entomology - Mike Quinn, 2017
Flickr - Bill Bouton, Peru Works Cited | 1. | Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms
Donald J. Borror. 1960. Mayfield Publishing Company. |  |
| 2. | Check list of the Lepidoptera of America north of Mexico.
Hodges, et al. (editors). 1983. E. W. Classey, London. 284 pp. | |
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