Dirce Beauty Butterfly

Description:

Is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family also called Zebra mosaic. The eggs are white and laid in groups of between 2 and 10 on leaves of the foodplant. The young caterpillars feed on Cecropia leaves and make "frass chains" i.e. chains of droppings linked together by strands of silk, which protrude from the edges of the leaves. When not feeding they rest on these frass chains, which provide them with a defence against certain marauding ant species which seem unwilling to step onto the silk strands. The fully grown larvae are velvety black and adorned with white rosetted spines along the back, and yellow spines along the sides. They live and feed gregariously in groups of between 5 and 20. When feeding they bite through the stems, causing alleochemics ( anti-herbivore juices ) to bleed from the plant, stopping it from mobilising chemicals into the area being eaten.

Habitat:

It is found in Central America and the Northern parts of South America. They breed in primary and secondary forest at altitudes between sea level and about 1400m but is found more frequently at altitudes below 800m.

Notes:

I saw the caterpillars on May 31, and today I saw the butterfly two or three trees away from the first spot. I don't know if they are the same species.