Tropical Beauties

By Ann Wilson, Geneva, Illinois

Although landscapes can look a little bleak in the winter, there's a simple way to lift your spirits—visit a butterfly house, where vibrant species sail amid tropical plants. Here, meet a few of the butterflies that are common to many butterfly houses.

Postman

Boasting striking, elongated black wings with brilliant reddish-orange stripes, Postman butterflies are easy to spot. Both adults and caterpillars rely on passionflower vines for nourishment. They build immunity to its toxins as caterpillars. The adults live longer than other butterflies, thanks to the passionflower's protein-rich pollen and nectar.

• Scientific Name: Heliconius melpomene.
• Family: Brush-footed.
• Wingspan: 2-1/2 to 3-1/4 inches.
• Distinctive Markings: Elongated black wings with a reddish-orange stripe on forewings.
• Distinctive Behavior: Adults and larva both feed on passionflower vines; caterpillars feed on the lower leaves and adults visit the flowers for pollen and nectar.
• Native Habitat: Forests, jungles and river edges and streams.

Owl

Found in South American and Central American rain forests, the large-winged yellow and purple butterfly dines primarily on rotting fruit, but their larvae are partial to banana leaves. In fact, banana growers consider these caterpillars a pest.

• Scientific Name: Caligo atreus.
• Family: Brush-footed.
• Wingspan: 5 to 6 inches.
• Distinctive Markings: Strong yellow and purple markings on upper wings; eyespots that resemble an owl's eyes on chocolate-brown undersides.
• Distinctive Behavior: Adults primarily fly at dawn and dusk; caterpillars feed as groups on host plants.
• Native Habitat: Dense rain forests.

Thoas Swallowtail

The Thoas swallowtail often is confused with its cousin, the giant swallowtail. This species, which ranges from Brazil north through southern Texas, boasts large, black wings marked with diagonal stripes made up of bright-yellow squares. It sips nectar by hovering like a hummingbird above blossoms.

• Scientific Name: Papilio thoas.
• Family: Swallowtail.
• Wingspan: 4 to 5 inches.
• Distinctive Markings: Black wings with diagonal lines of bright-yellow squares.
• Distinctive Behavior: When visiting flowers for nectar, adults don't land, but hover while they sip.
• Native Habitat: Mid-elevation tropical forests and lowland edges.

Blue Morpho

This large, brilliant-blue butterfly makes its home in South America and Central America and some parts of Mexico. At night, they fold up their wings to display the dark side of their wings, which allows them to go unnoticed by predators. During the day, they slowly beat their wings as they fly, producing an iridescent blue flash.

• Scientific Name: Morpho menelaus.
• Family: Brush-footed.
• Wingspan: 5 to 7 inches.
• Distinctive Markings: Iridescent-blue upper wings; bronze eyespots on brown undersides. Females have less-colorful wings with white-dotted brown encircling a blue area.
• Distinctive Behavior: Adults drink juice from rotting or fermenting fruit with their long, straw-like proboscis.
• Native Habitat: Rain forest canopies.

Photo: Guy Hill

Malachite

Native to Brazil through Central America and into Mexico, southern Texas, southern Florida and Cuba, the malachite boasts dark-brown to black wings marked with translucent whitish-green or yellow patches (like the one at right). Generally, adults eat rotting fruit, but sometimes feed on flower nectar or bird droppings.

• Scientific Name: Siproeta stelenes.
• Family: Brush-footed.
• Wingspan: 3-1/4 to 4 inches.
• Distinctive Markings: Whitish-green or yellow patches on dark to black upper sides; greenish patches on orange undersides.
• Distinctive Behavior: Males float slowly as they seek mates; adults rest as a group on leaves of low-growing shrubs.
• Native Habitat: Florida citrus and avocado orchards; subtropical evergreen and semi- deciduous forests.

Giant Wood Nymph

A Southeast-Asian cousin of the monarch, this species also is commonly called a paper kite or rice paper butterfly. The "kite" moniker aptly describes its flight pattern. It slowly, but continually glides in a circular pattern high in the trees. Like the monarch, the giant wood nymph has an articulated head, which allows it to turn its head from side to side and look upward.

• Scientific Name: Idea leuconoe.
• Family: Milkweed.
• Wingspan: 6 inches.
• Distinctive Markings: Tissue-like, transparent white wings with yellow shadings and black markings.
• Distinctive Behavior: Slowly glides like a kite in circular patterns.
• Native Habitat: Mangrove swamps and surrounding areas.

Julia

Julia butterflies make their home in subtropical clearings and woodland margins from Brazil north to southern Texas and Florida. They're also found in Mexico and the West Indies. Occasionally, the orange-winged butterflies stray as far north as Nebraska. Julias feed on the nectar of firebush, lantana, porterweed and Spanish needles.

• Scientific Name: Dryas Julia.
• Family: Brush-footed.
• Wingspan: 3-1/4 to 3-5/8 inches.
• Distinctive Markings: Elongated, bright-orange wings with black margins; females have paler wings with patchy black markings.
• Distinctive Behavior: A quick and agile flier that forages along a set route of nectar sources each day.
• Native Habitat: Subtropical clearings, paths and woodland margins.