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Pale Cracker (Hamadryas amphichloe [Boisduval])
Wing span: 2 15/16 - 3 3/8 inches (7.5 - 8.6 cm).
Identification: Upperside is light brown, gray, and white; forewing with a red bar in the cell; males with outer part of wing whitish. Submarginal eyespots of tan hindwing have orange scales outside a black crescent.
Life history: Adults perch on tree trunks head downward with their wings spread open. Before dark, adults gather on a single tree, then disperse to roost in nearby trees or shrubs. Males make a cracking noise when they fly.
Flight: Throughout the year in the West Indies.
Caterpillar hosts: Vine Dalechampia in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae).
Adult food: Rotting fruit and carrion.
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical forest edges and openings near streams, open fields with trees.
Range: Ecuador north through South America and the West Indies. Reaches the Florida Keys as a rare stray or an import on exotic plants.
Conservation: Not required for rare stray.
The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management needs: None reported.
References:
Opler, P. A. and V. Malikul. 1992. A field guide to eastern butterflies. Peterson
field guide #4. Houghton-Mifflin Co., Boston. 396 pages, 48 color plates.
Author: Jane M. Struttmann
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 1999 -
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