Iphidamas Cattleheart

Description:

Parides iphidamas is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is commonly known as the Iphidamas Cattleheart and the Transandean Cattleheart. Parides iphidamas has a wingspan reaching about 10 centimetres (3.9 in). The dorsal sides of the forewings are black, with a broad blue and white spot (completely white in females), while the dorsal sides of the hindwings show a broad red band or spot. Along the edges there are many yellow small spots. The undersides of the wings are black with a white band on the forewings and several pink patches on the hindwings. The body of the butterfly is black with several red dots. The poisonous caterpillars are chocolate-brown, with white or brown protrusions resembling thorns.

Habitat:

It is common in various habitats, ranging fron open lowlands to wooded areas and tropical forests, from sea level to 1,200 meters (3,900 ft). Females mainly occur where the caterpillar host plant are located, in forest clearing and along forest edges. This species is native to the Central and South Americas. It occurs from Southeastern Mexico to Costa Rica, Panama and Peru.

Notes:

Spotted in a tropical butterfly garden in S.E. France, on the French/Spanish border. Many of the butterflies in this butterfly garden had tattered wings. I wondered if there was too much vegetation in a confined space, either that, or they were old. They were in a large, long plastic growing tube with many plants