SAPHO LONGWING BUTTERFLIES
Sapho Longwing belongs to the family Nymphalidae.  Their prime origin is Costa Rica, but they have been seen in the rainforests of Belize.  The caterpiller is quite unique (in that), it's only breeds on just one specific plant, the Passion Vine, also known as the Pittier's Passion Vine.

There are actually only a few species of butterflies that breed on one specific plant and this may be the reason for their higher rate of extinction, as compared to other butterflies - who don't put all their eggs in one basket, or one plant as in this case.

If the plant goes extinct the butterfly will surely follow.

LAUREN'S BUTTERFLIES OF BELIZE (Part Nine)

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GEM OF THE BELIZE INSECT WORLD
The Agrias Butterfly is known by many as the gem of the insect world.  They are not only rare, but extremely hard to find, and rarely do you ever get to see one in the wild - as they reside mainly in the tree tops of the Belize rainforest.   

The Agrias Amydon Butterfly habitat, ranges from the southern tip of Mexico (northern part of Belize) going south through the Andes rain forests of Colombia to Bolivia, and East throughout much of the Amazon Basin, extending as far South as Iguazu Falls, Argentina.

There are 5 Agrias species, and numerous subspecies. In amydon the upperside is dark brown with vivid crimson patches on the forewings.

In some subspecies e.g. zenodorus and boliviensis the crimson is replaced by bright orange. The upperside hindwings have a smaller patch metallic blue (as you see above), which varies in size and hue according to subspecies. Males of all Agrias species have prominent yellow tufts of androconial scales on the hindwings.

The butterflies spend most of their lives high in the canopy of the rainforests in Belize, and for this reason - it is very hard to get a glimpse of one.  Agrias have always been highly prized by collectors, who use plantain, rotting fish and various other cocktails to attract the males down from the tree tops.  They are amongst the most vividly marked and beautiful butterflies in the world. 

The Agrias are only active in hot conditions, and this is why their habitat is found in primary and secondary rainforest at altitudes between about 200-600m.  The eggs are smooth, globular and laid singly on leaves of the food plants. The caterpillar when fully grown is olive brown, plump, and tapers toward the posterior, which is adorned with a pair of twisted caudal tails. The neck is narrow, and the head is very large in proportion to the body.

To see one of these babies in the wild, is a rare sight indeed, and for this reason they are considered a Belize rainforest gem.   

The top of the winds are red, blue and black, the under part of the wings, look like the pictures below with yellow and dots.

Coffee's on and pipping hot - at Banana Beach Resort.  Mom woke up early and said to us kids, "Let's go out for breakfast!"  So here we are at Banana Beach Resort on Ambergris Caye, in Belize. 

Us kids had fresh squeezed orange juice and mom had a fresh cup of brewed coffee, right from the pot.  Christina (my sister) and I had a bagel with cream cheese, and a fruit plate.  Trent (my brother), had smoked salmon, with a bagel, cream cheese and a fruit plate.  Mom had a breakfast Mexican dish (don't know the name).  They were all great!

We finished just in time - to drive to school on our golf cart @ 20 mph. 

LAUREN'S BUTTERFLIES OF BELIZE (Part Eight)

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SWALLOWTAIL CATTLEHEART BUTTERFLIES
Swallowtail butterflies are beautiful, colorful and very large butterflies that are found in most every continent in the world, except Antarctica. They are also very abundant in Belize.

There are over 500 species of swallowtails in the world!  There are various kinds of swallowtail butterflies, and they are most often identified by the colors on their wings.  A Swallowtail Cattleheart, is identified by the band of pink spots along its wings. 

Swallowtail Butterfly Habitat
A vast majority of the swallowtail butterfly species are native to the tropical regions of the world (such as Central America - Belize), while a few other species are found in other parts of the world. The butterflies mainly prefer marshy areas and open grasslands, characterized by growth of various species of flowers.

Swallowtail Butterfly Life Cycle
Like most of the other species of butterflies, even swallowtails have a four stage life cycle. We learned this in kindergarten last year.  The four growth stages of the butterfly are 1) egg; 2) caterpillar; 3) pupa, and; 4) adult butterfly. 

STAGE #1 - Egg Stage
The life of a swallowtail butterfly begins in the form of an egg. The female lays eggs on a tree, so that the larvae gets ample food (in form of leaves) when the eggs are hatched. It takes around 4-5 days for the eggs to hatch.

STAGE #2 - Caterpillar Stage
When the caterpillar comes out of the egg, first of all it eats the egg shell, and then continues feeding on the leaves, available in plenty. Swallowtail caterpillars can grow up to a size of 2 inches.

STAGE #3 - Pupa Stage
The pupa is predominantly the resting stage for these species, as they transform from caterpillars to full-grown adult butterflies. This stage lasts for about 9 to 11 days.

STAGE #4 - Adult Butterfly
The final stage of the life of the swallowtails is characterized by a development of wings which enables these beautiful insects to fly.  This entire process takes approximately one month, from start to finish.  This cycle continues as the adult female butterflies lay eggs, when the conditions are favorable.

Swallowtail Butterfly Diet
While the caterpillars prefer to feed on plant foliage, adult swallowtails feed on nectar from various flowers in the surroundings. The tongue of these species is specially designed to suck nectar from the flat topped flowers. When not in use this flexible tongue is coiled up into a spiral formation.