Anartia jatrophae | |
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butterfly house specimen | |
A. j. jatrophae, Tobago | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Nymphalidae |
Genus: | Anartia |
Species: | A. jatrophae
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Binomial name | |
Anartia jatrophae |
Anartia jatrophae, the white peacock, is a species of butterfly found in the southeastern United States, Central America, and throughout much of South America. The white peacock's larval hosts are water hyssop ( Bacopa monnieri), [2] [3] lemon bacopa ( Bacopa caroliniensis), [4] tropical waterhyssop ( Bacopa innominata), [5] frogfruit ( Phyla nodiflora), [6] lanceleaf frogfruit ( Phyla lanceolata), [7] and Carolina wild petunia ( Ruellia caroliniana). [8] [9] [10] The males of the species display a unique territorial behavior, in which they stake out a territory typically 15 meters in diameter that contains larval host plants. They perch in this area and aggressively protect it from other insects and other male white peacocks. [11]
Seven subspecies are recognized. [12]