| Melinaea ludovica (Cramer, 1780) |
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Scientific name: Melinaea ludovica (Cramer, 1780) Common name: French name: Order: Suborder: Rhopalocera Family: Nymphalidae Subfamily: Danainae Wingspan: 70-80 mm. Biotope: Bushy places, road sides. Geographic area: Two separates regions in South America, Guiana-Brazil and Ecuador-Peru. Flight time: All year round. Number of generations : Caterpillar: Host plant: |
Melinaea ludovica is a large butterfly with long wings. The lengthy body, very thin at the front, progressively thickens and then suddenly tapers at the rear. The basal area of the fore wings is orange and bordered by two small black spots followed by a broad pale yellow median stripe. The remaining part of the wing is black and crossed by two bands of pale yellow spots. The first band is clearly discontinuous and formed by a small spot located between two larger ones. The fore wings are bordered by a submarginal line of tiny white dots. The hind wings are orange with a small pale yellow mark and a small black mark next to the body. The postmedian area is marked with a rather typical black pattern, in particular with two black touching finger-shaped patches. The submarginal area is black and bears a line of tiny white dots. The markings on the under side of the wings are similar to the markings on the upper side. |
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I have shot this picture along the footpath starting from the Communal Hut on the Track of Sainte Élie. |
André Bon February 2014