Agraulis vanillae

Agraulis vanillae(Agraulis vanillae)

Phylumarthropoda
Class —insecta
Order —lepidoptera
Family —nymphalidae

Genus –agraulis

Appearance

In its adult form, the Agraulisvanillaeis a medium-sized butterfly that has extended forewings and a wingspan range of 6.5 to 9.5 cm. This butterfly exhibits sexual dimorphism as females are typically distinctively larger in size than males. The underside of the wings is brown and speckled with silvery white dots. In contrast, the top surface layer of the wings is deep orange in color with black streaks running across. In addition to the size difference between the two sexes, females are usually darker in color and are more marked with black streaks as compared to the males.

Habitat

Agraulisvanillaeare found primarily in the southern parts of the U.S., such as many regions of Texas and Florida. However, this butterfly’s range can extend from the southern U.S. into parts of Mexico and Central America and sometimes as far as parts of South America. They are also found in Hawaii.

Behavior

Agraulisvanillaehave a chemical defense mechanism in which they release odorous chemicals in response to predator sightings. As a result, common predators learn to avoid this species.

The flight of these butterflies is slow, heavy; they always keep swarms, and not only in the air when flying, but also when resting, when the swarm descends into the crown of a tree. They fly all year round, only in the northern borders of their range they can not be seen in the period from November to January.

Diet

Nectar plants used by the Agraulisvanillaeinclude Lantana, Butterfly bush, Zinnia, Aster, Thistle, Verbena, and others. Its host plants are Passion vine and Passion flower.

Life cycle

Pheromones play a critical role in male-female courtship behaviors, with male emitting sex pheromones that contribute to mate choice in females.

Males search for freshly emerged females. The eggs are laid singly on Passion vines. The egg is yellow, oblong, and ribbed. Eggs are usually found on the upper surfaces of the leaves of the host plant, but some can be found on the underside of leaves as well.

The larval stages of Agraulisvanillaeinclude five instars, each with a varying timeframe.

After the eggs hatch, the new larvae eat the egg casings for food. Eventually, the larvae will transition either to consuming other eggs or parts of the host plant for nourishment. Throughout the first three instar stages, the larvae primarily consume the leaves and feed away from the leaf margins of the host plant.Throughout the last two instar stages, the larvae mainly consume the leaves and feed at the leaf margins. The average duration of the larval stage is between 11 and 16 days depending on the temperature.

In form and appearance, the pupae are not recognizably uniform, but rather can vary in both coloring and physical size. The average duration of the pupal stage in gulf fritillaries is roughly between 7 and 12 days depending on the temperature of the environment.

When the time comes for the caterpillar to create its chrysalis it turns a grayish color and begins to spin a silk-like substance into a ball on top or against a malleable surface. It then attaches its rear end to the "silk" lump and hangs upside down in a "j" position. By small contractions of the muscles it begins to shed its skin and head revealing a soft pinkish tan form. Quickly the soft form hardens and becomes grayish brown. The chrysalis stays in this form for eleven to twenty-one days. After that period of time, a small crack begins to form at the tip of the chrysalis revealing the butterfly's head. It continues to slowly move down through the bottom of the chrysalis until its legs are free to cling onto the shell of the chrysalis and pull itself the rest of the way out. Much like the monarch butterfly, it begins to pump the fluids from its bulging abdomen into its shriveled wings. When its wings are fully expanded it releases excess fluids from its abdomen. For the next ten to fifteen minutes it stays still and allows its wings to dry. Finally it fans its wings out and takes flight.

After the process of emerging from the chrysalis is completed, the butterfly dries its wings and eventually flies for the first time. The average duration of the adult stage is roughly 14 to 27 days after the butterfly emerges from the chrysalis depending on the quality of the environment.

In captivity

The ideal option for breeding is a greenhouse with conditions of a humid tropical forest, humidity over 80% and a temperature of +25+30 oC. An important condition for breeding is good light, without this, the butterflies will not be active enough. After mating, the females begin to look for food plants for the caterpillars - for laying eggs. Forage plants should be healthy, free from pests and untreated with chemicals. The butterfly can lay eggs on various parts of the plant, which serve as a food base for the caterpillars.

 

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