Blue cracker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Variable cracker |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| From MHNT | |
 |
|
| Underside | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Synonyms | |
|
The Variable Cracker (scientific name: Hamadryas feronia) is a cool type of cracker butterfly. It belongs to the Nymphalidae family, which is a big group of butterflies. You can find this butterfly in the southern parts of North America all the way down to Brazil. It's also known as the blue cracker.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The Variable Cracker butterfly looks a lot like its relatives, Hamadryas guatemalena and Hamadryas iphthime.
Wings
The top side of its front wings has a mix of white, brown, and bluish-grey colors. It looks like a mosaic! You'll also see a line of small "eyespots" near the edge. There's a small red bar in the middle part of the wing.
The top side of the back wings is similar. But it has fewer white spots. The eyespots on the back wings are bigger and easier to see.
The underside of the front wings is usually white or light tan. It has dark patterns, a small red bar, and a black eyespot near the outer edge. The underside of the back wings is also white or light tan. It has dark patterns and blue rings with larger eyespots near the back edge.
Larva and Pupa
The larva (which is the caterpillar stage) can be one of two colors. It might be bluish-black on top with brownish-white speckles. It also has reddish spots on its sides. Or, it could be greyish-green with a light-colored line running along its side.
The caterpillar has spines on its body. You can see them on its second and third chest parts. It also has spines on its seventh and eighth belly parts.
When the caterpillar turns into a pupa (the chrysalis stage), it has two long parts sticking out from its front end.
Where Do They Live?
The Variable Cracker butterfly lives in different parts of the Americas. Scientists recognize two main groups, called subspecies:
- H. feronia feronia lives in Brazil, Paraguay, and Peru.
- H. feronia farinulenta is found in Mexico, Honduras, Venezuela, Colombia, and Trinidad.
These butterflies like to live in open areas where there are also trees.
How Do They Live?
In Mexico, you can see adult Variable Cracker butterflies flying all year long. But they are most common between June and September.
Food and Habits
The larvae (caterpillars) of these butterflies eat vines. These vines belong to the plant family called Euphorbiaceae. In South America, a plant called Dalechampia triphylla is often their favorite food.
Adult butterflies don't eat leaves. Instead, they like to feed on rotting fruit.
These butterflies often perch on tree trunks. They usually face head-down and press their bodies flat against the bark. Their colors help them blend in perfectly with the tree bark, making them hard to spot! This is called camouflage.
Cracking Sound
When another butterfly comes near, a male Variable Cracker will fly out. It makes a special cracking sound! They probably make this sound using two small rods on their belly. If the new butterfly is another male, it will "click" back in response. But if it's a female, she will stay quiet.
Female butterflies also perch on tree trunks. Scientists did an experiment to see where males and females prefer to perch. They offered black, grey, or white perching spots. The male butterflies liked the white spots best, while the females preferred the grey ones.
