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Euphaedra themis

(Themis Forester)

Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Themis Forester

Description

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Family Nymphalidae

'The Nymphalidae are members of the Superfamily Papilionoidea, the true butterflies. Distributed worldwide, butterflies of this family are especially rich in the tropics. They are highly variable, and there are more species in this family than in any other. Adults vary in size from small to large, and their front legs are reduced, unable to be used for walking. Wing shape is also highly variable: some species have irregular margins (anglewings and commas), and others have long taillike projections (daggerwings). Browns, oranges, yellows, and blacks are frequent colors, while iridescent colors such as purples and blues are rare. Adults of some groups are the longest-lived butterflies, surviving 6-11 months. Adult feeding behavior depends on the species, where some groups primarily seek flower nectar while others only feed on sap flows , rotting fruit, dung, or animal carcasses. Males exhibit perching and patrolling behaviors when seeking mates. Egg-laying varies widely, as some species lay eggs in clustsers, others in columns, and others singly. Caterpillar appearance and behavior vary widely. Brushfoots overwinter as larvae or adults.

'[1]

Subfamily Limenitidinae

The Limenitidinae are members of the Family Nymphalidae. These admirals and relatives are found on most continents. Adults of most genera are characterized by their flap-and-glide flight. Caterpillar and chrysalis structure defines this group.[2]

Habitat

Biome: Terrestrial [3].

Ecology: This butterfly is found in all types of forest , including disturbed forest, except the wettest in the nominate subspecies (Larsen 2005). The larval food plant may be Deimbollia pinnata (Sapindaceae) (Vuattoux and Blandin 1979), but this record probably refers to E. laboureana (Larsen 2005).[3].

List of Habitats :

Taxonomy

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Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Some of the western specimens pertain to the composita­-form, which might be a distinct species or a morph of the same species. The taxonomy of these species is still in flux. It cannot be treated as a subspecies since it is sympatric with E. themis throughout and is just possibly a distinct species. It will need close study in an area of sympatry to be sure (Larsen 2005).[3].

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Euphaedra

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 10 species and subspecies in this genus:

E. crossei (Crosse's Forester) · E. delera (Brown Ceres Forester) · E. eupalus (Western Blue-Banded Forester) · E. losinga (Dark Brown Forester) · E. modesta (Modest Themis Forester) · E. piriformis (Pear-Banded Forester) · E. plantroui (Plantrous Forester) · E. simplex (Simple Orange Forester) · E. splendens (Splendid Themis Forester) · E. themis (Themis Forester)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/taxonomy?f=18&sci=Nymphalidae&com=Brush-footed Butterflies [back]
  2. http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=None&search=Search [back]
  3. Larsen, T.B. 2011. Euphaedra themis. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 01 February 2012. [back]
Last Revised: 7/22/2012