Eueides isabella

Eueides isabella (Eueides isabella)

Phylum — arthropoda
Class — insecta
Order — lepidoptera
Family — nymphalidae

Genus – eueides

Appearance

Caterpillars are white and black covered by long black spines.

Eueides isabella is a large butterfly with a wingspan of 65–90 millimeters (2.6–3.5 in). The uppersides of the wings is dark brown, with orange bands and yellowish markings on the edges of the forewings. The undersides of the wings are quite similar to the uppersides, but the edges of the hindwings show a series of small blue spots.

Habitat

This species can be found from Mexico to the Amazon basin and the West Indies.

Behavior

The flight period extends to the whole year in the tropical habitat. Caterpillars are gregarious. Butterflies are active at dusk. They spend the night under the leaves.

Diet

Caterpillars feed on passion vine (Passifloraceae). Adults feed on nectar.

Reproduction

For their reproduction you need a terrarium with a size of 50 x 50 x 70 cm. Eggs are laid singly on tendrils or on underside of host plant leaves. The eggs are cream-colored and oval. The incubation period is 3-5 days. It is better to keep the caterpillars in plastic containers closed with a grid, each container should have 6-8 caterpillars. In the container, you need to place a forage plant. A wet paper towel is placed on the bottom, which must be replaced daily. The keeper should maintain the temperature of 22-25 ^oC and the level of the humidity 65-75%. The caterpillar develops for 16-20 days. The pupae are white-green with many hook-shaped processes. The butterfly hatches during 11-14 days.

In captivity

The mesh terrarium with a size of 50 × 50 × 70 mm is suitable for keeping butterflies. Room temperature is necessary. Daylight time is 12 hours. You can feed the butterflies with honey syrup diluted with boiled water in a ratio of 1: 10.