RED CRACKER BUTTERFLIES

LAUREN'S BUTTERFLIES OF BELIZE
(Part Thirteen)

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RED CRACKER BUTTERFLY SIGHTING
Cracker butterflies commonly covered in varying colored spots, mostly of which resemble bark.

These butterflies are common, to the country of Belize. 
They spend most of the day perching on trees, boulders, and other such surfaces against which they are camouflaged. The speckled species are often hard to distinguish.

Since cracker butterflies have camouflage, they are not poisonous and do not have a chemical defense.

Male cracker butterflies are known for their ability to crack their wings, which is believed to be either for mating or to ward off rival males. They use trees as courting territories. They prefer tree bark that matches wing coloration.

This species often perch high in the trees, but as night approaches, they perch even higher.  Perches exposed to direct sunlight are less used in hot days. All species perch with the head downwards. Perching males frequently fly towards female butterflies

Each male perches on 1–4 trees daily, without difference between seasons, and each tree used has a minimum daily mean of 1.5 perching butterflies. Most interactions occur between 1 and 3 in the afternoon and are more frequent in the rainy season.

Research has shown that cracker butterflies can also detect the sounds made by other butterflies, which would be a form of social communication.  The organ of hearing is believed by some to be Vogel's organ, located at the base of the forewing subcostal and cubital veins.

Unlike most butterflies, these species don't feed on nectar. Instead, cracker butterflies feed on rotting fruit, sap from leguminous trees, and animal dung.

Cracker butterflies undergo metamorphosis just like any other species,, but lay their eggs only on the host plants that are members of the euphorbia family.

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