Mechanitis polymnia (Linnaeus, 1758)
Polymnia Tigerwing
Papilio polymnia (Linnaeus, 1758)
Probably common in Brazil and occur all year. This species lives well on forest edge, flying slowly and close to the ground. Leaves the eggs on solanaceous plants, with cycle of life on average one month in the nature. The cycle of life can be longer in butterfly house, where can be easily created (Otero & Marigo, 1992). Larvae are white and the pupae shows silver staining (Berti Filho & Cerignoni, 2010).
Bolivia; Brasil; Colombia; Ecuador; Guatemala; Honduras; Perú; Suriname; Venezuela
Occur throughout the whole year
Nectar of Asteraceae, decomposing organic matter, bird droppings (see Ray & Andrews, 1980)
There is record of a species of Passifloraceae in Colombia, Passiflora edulis. In Brazil are recorded many species of host-plant in Solanaceae (Beccaloni et al. 2008). see below.
Brugmansia candida, Brunfelsia grandiflora, Cyphomandra betacea, Cyphomandra corymbiflora, C. diplocomos, C. sciadostylis, C. velutina, Lycopersicon sp., Lycopersicon esculentum, Solanum spp., Solanum aculeatissimum, S. adenotrichum, S. crinitum, S. granuloso-leprosum, S. hexandrum, S. incarceratum, S. lycocarpum, S. mauritianum, S. palinacanthum, S. robustus, S. scuticum, S. sessiliflorum, S. sisymbriifolium, S. spinosissimun, S. stramoniifolium, S. variabile.
orange, black, yellow
- Otero L.S., Marigo L.C. (1992):
- Butterflies of Carajás. Book., Rio de Janeiro, Companhia Vale do Rio Doce: 1-76
- Berti Filho E., Cerignoni J.A. (2010):
- Borboletas. Book., Piracicaba, FEALQ: 1-94
- Beccaloni G.W, Viloria A.L., Hall S.K., Robinson G.S. (2008):
- Catalogue of the hostplants of the Neotropical butterflies. Book., London, S.E.A., Ribes, CYTED, Natural History Museum, IVIC: 1-536
- Ray T.S., Andrews C.C. (1980):
- Antbutterflies: Butterflies that follow army ants to feed on antbird droppings. Science. 210: 1147-1148