Dismorphia amphione

Tiger mimic white
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Pieridae
Genus:	Dismorphia
Species:	D. amphione
Binomial name
	Dismorphia amphione; (Cramer, [1779])
Synonyms
	Papilio amphione Cramer, [1779]; Papilio amphiona Cramer, [1779]; Papilio astynome Dalman, 1823; Dismorphia polymela Geyer, 1832; Dismorphia astynome paulistana Fruhstorfer, 1912; Dismorphia astynome cellularis Martin, [1923]; Dismorphia astynome chloronome Avinoff, 1926; Leptalis praxinoe Doubleday, 1844; Leptalis amphithea C. & R. Felder, [1865]; Dismorphia arsinoides Staudinger, 1884; Leptalis arsinoe C. & R. Felder, 1865; Dismorphia discrepans Butler, 1896; Dismorphia rhomboidea Butler, 1896; Dismorphia broomeae Butler, 1899; Dismorphia amphione astynomides Röber, 1909; Dismorphia robinsoni Schaus, 1929;

Dismorphia amphione, the tiger mimic white, is a species of butterfly of the family Pieridae. It is found from Mexico and the Caribbean down to Brazil and Bolivia.

The wingspan is about 77 mm. It is an extremely variable species.^[2]

The larvae feed on Inga species, including I. sapindoides and I. densiflora.

Dismorphia amphione mimics the ithomiine butterflies of the genus Mechanitis (M. lysimnia, M. polymnia, M. mazaeus, M. menapis) in colour pattern and in the slow regular flight.^[3]

Subspecies

D. a. amphione (Suriname)
D. a. astynome (Dalman, 1823) (Brazil (São Paulo, Bahia, Minas Gerais), Argentina)
D. a. praxinoe (Doubleday, 1844) (Mexico, from Panama to Colombia)
D. a. beroe (Lucas, 1852) (Colombia)
D. a. egaena (Bates, 1861) (Brazil (Amazonas))
D. a. discrepans Butler, 1896 (Ecuador)
D. a. rhomboidea Butler, 1896 (Ecuador, Peru)
D. a. broomeae Butler, 1899 (Venezuela, Trinidad)
D. a. meridionalis Röber, 1909 (Bolivia)
D. a. daguana Bargmann, 1929 (Colombia, Ecuador)
D. a. lupita Lamas, 1979 (Mexico)
D. a. isolda Llorente, 1984 (Mexico)
D. a. bertha Lamas, 2004 (Peru)
D. a. mora Lamas, 2004 (Peru)

Gallery

D. a. amphione male
D. a. amphione female
D. a. discrepans male
D. a. discrepans female
D. a. astynome male
D. a. astynome female
D. a. praxinoe male
D. a. praxinoe female

References

^ Dismorphia at funet
^ Butterflies of the Sangay National Park
^ *Kassarov, L. 2001 (2004). Is aposematism a valid concept in predator-prey relationships between birds and butterflies? A different point of view. Tropical Lepidoptera 12(1-2): 1-15. pdf Abstract: The concept of aposematism, especially in regard to butterflies, is discussed in terms of the close interrelationship between butterflies, as prey, and birds, as their predators, in their common environment. Vision, in a broad sense, and especially in terms of the visual capabilities of the avian eye, is discussed as a basis for understanding the difference between the aerial hawker insectivorous bird predators of butterflies, and all other birds, regardless of whether considered primarily insectivorous or not. The marked differences in foraging behavior determine how a bird perceives the bright color patterns of butterflies. For aposematic color patterns to be effective, they have to be seen by the bird as an optical device advertising distasteful or toxic qualities of the potential prey so that the predator avoids them by sight. It is argued here that birds that prey on butterflies do not perceive them as an aposematic insect, as postulated by the concept of aposematism. The bird does not reject a butterfly on the basis of color pattern, but on the basis of characteristic morphological and behavioral patterns which provide the bird with a signal as to whether the butterfly is energetically profitable or unprofitable for the bird as a food source.

[1] Dismorphia at funet

[2] Butterflies of the Sangay National Park

[3] *Kassarov, L. 2001 (2004). Is aposematism a valid concept in predator-prey relationships between birds and butterflies? A different point of view. Tropical Lepidoptera 12(1-2): 1-15. pdf Abstract: The concept of aposematism, especially in regard to butterflies, is discussed in terms of the close interrelationship between butterflies, as prey, and birds, as their predators, in their common environment. Vision, in a broad sense, and especially in terms of the visual capabilities of the avian eye, is discussed as a basis for understanding the difference between the aerial hawker insectivorous bird predators of butterflies, and all other birds, regardless of whether considered primarily insectivorous or not. The marked differences in foraging behavior determine how a bird perceives the bright color patterns of butterflies. For aposematic color patterns to be effective, they have to be seen by the bird as an optical device advertising distasteful or toxic qualities of the potential prey so that the predator avoids them by sight. It is argued here that birds that prey on butterflies do not perceive them as an aposematic insect, as postulated by the concept of aposematism. The bird does not reject a butterfly on the basis of color pattern, but on the basis of characteristic morphological and behavioral patterns which provide the bird with a signal as to whether the butterfly is energetically profitable or unprofitable for the bird as a food source.

[1]

[2]

[3]