Diaethria clymena peruviana(Guenée, 1872)Nymphalidae
Tray 24 of 39

Diaethria clymena peruviana

(Guenée, 1872)

Cramer's Eighty-eight

Order by November 30 for delivery by Christmas.

Your framed specimen is a different individual of the same species, chosen and mounted by Lucy.

  • Nymphalidae
  • Butterfly
For young explorers

Under its wings is a black-and-white pattern that looks like the number 88.

Black above with shiny blue bands, its hindwing underside is white with black lines that form a pattern like the number 88.

Catalog label
Family
Nymphalidae
Subfamily
Biblidinae
Tribe
Biblidini
Where it lives
Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador

From the catalog of Lucy Garcia Salik, PhD. A mounted specimen from a licensed supplier.

Research notes

From published sources, not from Lucy’s catalog. Each note lists where it came from.

Description

Seen from above, this butterfly is black with shiny bands near the edges of its wings. One source calls the bands iridescent blue and another calls them light green. Underneath, the forewing is red to pinkish red toward the body, and its tip is white with black bands. The hindwing underside is white with black outlines that look like the numerals "88", and some individuals look more like "89". The butterfly's common name comes from this marking. These sources describe the species as a whole, not the Peruvian subspecies.

Where it lives

The sources describe a tropical American species. A Trinidad and Tobago guide places it across the Neotropics, including the Amazon and the Andes, through Central America and as far as Trinidad and Tobago. The Florida Museum gives its origin as Central and South America. North American sources call it a rare stray that turns up in South Florida only once in a while. These range statements cover the whole species and are not specific to the subspecies peruviana.

Habitat

The sources place this butterfly in wet tropical forest, including both rainforest and misty cloud (fog) forest, from the lowlands up into the mountains. It is also seen in open, disturbed places near people, such as riverbanks close to docks.

How the adults behave

Adults fly during the day. Instead of flower nectar, they feed on rotting fruit and dung, and they are often found near fruit trees. Males also gather on damp ground and mineral deposits. The adults are restless and easily startled. They rarely stay still for long, but they keep coming back to the same favorite spots. One source suggests this quick, jumpy behavior helps them get away from birds.

Life cycle

Like other butterflies, it goes through four stages: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and adult. One source reports that the caterpillar leaves the plant it fed on before it turns into a chrysalis. The Florida Museum shows photos of the chrysalis. A North American database lists the life history as not reported, so detailed accounts are limited.

Look-alikes

Its genus has several other species, and they are also called eighty-eights because they have similar number-like markings under the hindwing. One example is Anna's Eighty-eight. From above it looks different: its upper wings are brown with a broad metallic green band across the forewing, not black with shiny bands near the edges. Checking the upper side helps tell these butterflies apart.

Conservation

The species is considered secure across its global range, though it can be uncommon in some areas, especially at the edges of its range. A North American database says no conservation action is needed for the rare strays that reach Florida. This global ranking is for the species, not for the subspecies peruviana specifically.

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