Consul fabius explained

Consul fabius, the tiger leafwing, is the most common and well known species of the genus Consul of subfamily Charaxinae in the brush-footed butterfly family (Nymphalidae). It is found all over the Neotropics.

Description

The length of the forewings reaches about 30-. The uppersides of the wings have a bright orange and black pattern, with two yellow bands across the angular forewings. The hindwings are tailed. This butterfly is part of a mimicry ring, as a matter of fact the cryptic undersides of the wings mimic a dead leaf. The eggs are laid on the leaves of various species of Piperaceae (Piper tuberculatum, Piper auritum, Piper umbellatum, etc.), of which the caterpillars feed. The caterpillars are dark green with reddish spots along the back, while the chrysalis are pale green.

Distribution

Consul fabius occurs from Mexico to the Amazon basin (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad, Venezuela).^[1]

Habitat

This species is present in deciduous forest, rainforest, and cloud forest. It usually prefers the forest canopy, the banks of rivers and the forest edges, at elevations between sea level and about 1200 m.

Subspecies

C. f. fabius (Suriname)
C. f. cecrops (Doubleday, [1849]) (Mexico, Panama to Bolivia)
C. f. albinotatus (Butler, 1874) (Colombia)
C. f. bogotanus (Butler, 1874) (Columbia, Venezuela)
C. f. castaneus (Butler, 1874) (Brazil: Amazonas)
C. f. drurii (Butler, 1874) (Brazil)
C. f. divisus (Butler, 1874) (Peru)
C. f. ochraceus (Butler, 1874) (Trinidad)
C. f. quadridentatus (Butler, 1874) (Bolivia)
C. f. fulvus (Butler, 1875) (Peru)
C. f. diffusus (Butler, 1875) (Ecuador)
C. f. semifulvus (Butler, 1875) (Ecuador)
C. f. fassli (Röber, 1916) (western Colombia, Ecuador)
C. f. superba (Niepelt, 1923) (Colombia)

Synonyms

Papilio fabius Cramer, [1775]
Consul hippona
Anaea fabius
Protogonius quadridentatus = C. f. quadridentatus (Butler, 1874)
Protogonius castaneus = C. f. castaneus (Butler, 1874)
Protogonius ochraceus = C. f. ochraceus (Butler, 1874)
Protogonius albinotatus = C. f. albinotatus (Butler, 1874)
Protogonius cecrops Doubleday, [1849]
Protogonius hippona chiricanus Röber, 1916
Protogonius tithoreides Butler, 1874
Protogonius lilops Butler, 1874
Protogonius holocrates Hahnel, 1890
Protogonius hippona var. immaculatus Staudinger, 1887
Protogonius hippona var. peruvianus Staudinger, 1887
Protogonius hippona trinitatis Röber, 1916
Protogonius butleri Staudinger, 1886
Protogonius aequatorialis Butler, 1875
Protogonius diffusus ab. ecuadorensis Strand, 1921

External links

Notes and References

http://ftp.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/papilionoidea/nymphalidae/charaxinae/consul/ "Consul Hübner, [1807]"] at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms