Marpesia chiron (Fabricius, 1775)

Common Name:
Many-banded Daggerwing

Synonyms:

Papilio chiron (Fabricius, 1775)

Natural History:

The Marpesia genus has about 20 species recorded in the Neotropics (Lamas, 2004). Some species are common on the banks of rivers, where they spend a lot of time sucking the moist soil. Females are rarely observed and caterpillars have spines on the back and in the head (Marigo & Otero, 1992).

Marpesia chiron make an aggregate of butterflies to sleep under a leaf, and disperse disperse when the daylight comes. Are migratory butterflies (Brown Jr. 1992)

Distribution:
Argentina; Ayiti; Brasil; Costa Rica; Cuba; El Salvador; Jamaica; México; Paraguay; Suriname; Uruguay; Venezuela

Feeding Adult:

Female feed on nectar and male feed on wet sand

Feeding Caterpillars:

In Brazil are recorded as hos-plant, according Beccaloni et al. (2008):

Moraceae: Artocarpus sp., Artocarpus integrifolia, Ficus sp., Ficus pumila, Maclura pomifera, Morus alba, Morus nigra.

Rutaceae: Zanthoxylum rhoifolium

Color:
brown, cream

Habitat:
anthropogenic, open, forest edge, river bank

Publications:

Lamas G. (2004):

Atlas of neotropical Lepidoptera - Checklist: Part 4A Hesperioidea - Papilionoidea. Book.: 1-439

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

Otero L.S., Marigo L.C. (1992):

Butterflies of Carajás. Book., Rio de Janeiro, Companhia Vale do Rio Doce: 1-76

Brown Jr. K (1992):

Borboletas da Serra do Japi: diversidade, habitats, recursos alimentares e variação temporal. In:n História Natural da Serra do Japi: ecologia e preservação de uma área florestal no Sudeste do Brasil., Campinas, Unicamp: 142-186