| Hypothyris ninonia (Hübner, 1806) |
|
|
|
Scientific name: Hypothyris ninonia (Hübner, 1806) Common name: French name: Order: Lepidoptera Suborder: Rhopalocera Family: Nymphalidae Subfamily: Danainae Wingspan: About 55 mm. Biotope: Tropical rain forest. Geographic area: Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Peru and Bolivia. Flight time: All year round. Number of generations : Caterpillar: Host plant: |
Hypothyris ninonia is one butterfly species belonging to the Ithomiini tribe and showing their wing shape with rounded apex and concave fore wings' inner edge. The Hypothyris genus includes 16 species forming 137 sub-species depending on their geographical range. So the following description will only deal with the Hypothyris ninonia latefasciata sub-species which is found in French Guiana and in the surrounding Amazonian territories. The fore wings and the hind wings show a submarginal alignment of large creamy spots on a black ground colour. The costal edge of the fore wings bears a thin black border. The base of the fore wings is orange and marked with two well separated black spots, one being triangle-shaped. It is followed by a creamy median band with wavy edges. This band is bordered, on the basal side, by two large black spots and by one extension of the black submarginal area. The hind wings are orange with a black stripe close to the costal edge and showing a right-angled pointed tip next to the apex. Following this you will find a black median band appearing as the merge of a series of large black spots and then the black submarginal area. |
| [To know more about the Hypothyris ninonia] [Top] |
|
I have shot this picture at Saül, while walking along the Monts la Fumée footpath. I have first thought to Heliconius numata, but this species is a larger size and never shows any alignment of submarginal spots on the fore wings. |
André Bon August 2014