Hamadryas februa, the gray (or grey) cracker, is a species of cracker butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found from Argentina north through tropical America to Mexico. Rare strays can be found up to the lower Rio Grande Valley in southern Texas. The habitat consists of subtropical forests, forest edges and cultivated areas with trees.
| Gray cracker | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Hamadryas |
| Species: | H. februa
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| Binomial name | |
| Hamadryas februa | |
| Synonyms | |
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The wingspan is 70–86 mm. The upperside is mottled brown and white although there is some red in the forewing cell bar. The hindwing eyespots have orange scales preceding black crescents. The underside of the hindwings is white and the submarginal eyespots are composed of a brown ring around a black crescent in a white center. Adults are on wing year round in the tropics and from August to October in southern Texas. They feed on sap and rotting fruit.
The larvae feed on Dalechampia and Tragia species. They are solitary and build resting platforms out of dung pellets.[2]
Subspecies edit
- Hamadryas februa februa (Brazil, Paraguay, Peru)
- Hamadryas februa ferentina (Godart, [1824]) (southern Texas, Mexico, Honduras, Trinidad) – Ferentina calico
References edit
- ^ Hamadryas februa at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
- ^ Hamadryas februa, Butterflies and Moths of North America
External links edit
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