Idea leuconoe
| Paper kite | |
|---|---|
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| Dorsal view | |
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| Ventral view | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Idea |
| Species: | I. leuconoe
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| Binomial name | |
| Idea leuconoe Erichson, 1834
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Idea leuconoe, also known as the paper kite butterfly, rice paper butterfly, large tree nymph,[1] is a butterfly known especially for its presence in butterfly houses and live butterfly expositions. It has a wingspan of 12 to 14 cm. The paper kite is of Southeast Asian origin, but can also be found in Southern Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands.
Larvae feed on Parsonsia species, Tylophora hispida, Parsonsia helicandra, Parsonsia spiralis, and Cynanchum formosanum[2] so both the butterfly and larvae are poisonous.
Description
[edit]The paper kite butterfly's forewings and hindwings are translucent silvery white with black spots, similar to the Idea lynceus.
Subspecies
[edit]Listed alphabetically:[2]
- I. l. athesis Fruhstorfer, 1911
- I. l. caesena Fruhstorfer, 1911
- I. l. chersonesia (Fruhstorfer, 1898)
- I. l. clara (Butler, 1867)
- I. l. engania (Doherty, 1891)
- I. l. esanga Fruhstorfer, 1898
- I. l. fregela Fruhstorfer, 1911
- I. l. godmani Oberthür, 1878
- I. l. gordita Fruhstorfer, 1911
- I. l. javana Fruhstorfer, 1896
- I. l. kwashotoensis (Sonan, 1928)
- I. l. lasiaka van Eecke, 1913
- I. l. leuconoe Erichson, 1834
- I. l. moira Fruhstorfer, 1910
- I. l. natunensis Snellen, 1895
- I. l. nigriana Grose-Smith, 1895
- I. l. obscura Staudinger, 1889
- I. l. princesa Staudinger, 1889
- I. l. samara Fruhstorfer, 1910
- I. l. siamensis (Godfrey, 1916)
- I. l. solyma Fruhstorfer, 1910
- I. l. vedana Fruhstorfer, 1906
- I. l. vicetia Fruhstorfer, 1911
Gallery
[edit]-
A backlighted side ventral view of the silver wings illustrates why the descriptor “rice paper” is used. -
Larva (caterpillar) -
Pupa -
Dorsal view -
Ventral view -
Feeding
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References
[edit]- ^ Cutler, David (2002). Butterflies and Moths (Second American ed.). London: Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 0-7894-8983-X.
- ^ a b "Idea Fabricius, 1807" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Idea leuconoe.
Wikispecies has information related to Idea leuconoe.
- Captain's Guide Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine
- Idea leuconoe page on the Butterfly Pavilion's site
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