typhlonectes:

The Malachite (Siproeta stelenes)

… is a neotropical brush-footed butterfly (family Nymphalidae). It is named for the mineral malachite, which is similar in color to the bright green on the butterfly’s wings. Typically, the wingspread is between 8.5 and 10 cm (3.3 and 3.9 in).

The malachite is found throughout Central and northern South America, where it is one of the most common butterfly species. Its distribution extends as far north as southern Texas and the tip of Florida.

Adults feed on flower nectar, rotting fruit, dead animals, and bat dung. Females lay eggs on the new leaves of plants in the Acanthaceae family, especially ruellia. The larvae are horned, spiny, black caterpillars with red markings…

(read more: Wikipedia)

photographs by Böhringer Friedrich and Anne Toal

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