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Chilades cleotas (Guérin-Méneville 1831)

Andrew V. Z. Brower
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Containing group: Chilades

Introduction

Chilades cleotas is sometimes placed in Luthrodes Druce (viewed here as a subjective junior synonym). The species ranges from islands west of New Guinea to the New Hebrides and Solomon Is. Larvae feed on cycads and can be quite destructive of their hostplants. It is probable that, like the neotropical hairstreak genus Eumaeus, the larvae are able to sequester azoxyglycosides from the cycads and to employ them as a chemical defense. The large orange patches on the wings, apparent gregariousness (see photo) and slow, bobbing flight described by Parsons (1999) would all suggest that the butterflies are chemically defended from predation.

Other Names for Chilades cleotas (Guérin-Méneville 1831)

References

Parsons, M. 1999 The butterflies of Papua New Guinea: their systematics and biology. San Diego: Academic Press.

Title Illustrations
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Scientific Name Chilades cleotas
Location Efate Island, Vanuatu
Comments Eggs are visible as small whitish dots on central vein of Cycas fronds.
Specimen Condition Live Specimen
Identified By Andrew V. Z. Brower
Behavior ovipositing females
Sex Female
Life Cycle Stage adults and eggs
Copyright © 2009
About This Page


Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA

Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Andrew V. Z. Brower at

Page: Tree of Life Chilades cleotas (Guérin-Méneville 1831). Authored by Andrew V. Z. Brower. The TEXT of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License - Version 3.0. Note that images and other media featured on this page are each governed by their own license, and they may or may not be available for reuse. Click on an image or a media link to access the media data window, which provides the relevant licensing information. For the general terms and conditions of ToL material reuse and redistribution, please see the Tree of Life Copyright Policies.

Citing this page:

Brower, Andrew V. Z. 2009. Chilades cleotas (Guérin-Méneville 1831). Version 23 February 2009 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Chilades_cleotas/123156/2009.02.23 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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