North American Butterflies and Moths List

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Butterflies of North America

Cramer's Eighty-eight (Diaethria clymena)
JPG -- species photo

Cramer's Eighty-eight (Diaethria clymena [Cramer])

Wing span: 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 inches (3.8 - 4.4 cm).

Identification: Upperside is black with iridescent blue bands at the margins. Underside of forewing is red; hindwing is white with a black outlined "88" or "89."

Life history: Not reported.

Flight: February-July in Florida, March-November in South America.

Caterpillar hosts: In Brazil, Trema micrantha in the elm family (Ulmaceae).

Adult food: Decaying fruit, dung.

Habitat: Wet tropical forests.

Range: South America. Occasionally strays to South Florida.

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:


DeVries, P. J. 1987. The butterflies of Costa Rica and their natural history. 

     Papilionidae, Pieridae, Nymphalidae. Princeton University Press, Princeton, 

     New Jersey. 327 pages,50 color plates.



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.



Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, 

     Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates.

Author: Jane M. Struttmann

Cramer's Eighty-eight (Diaethria clymena)
distribution map
map legend

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