Candrena eighty-eight facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Candrena eighty-eight
Scientific classification
Subspecies
Two, see text
Synonyms
Nymphalis candrena Godart, [1824] Callicore carmen Guenée, 1872 Callicore candrenoïdes Oberthür, 1916 Callicore köhleri Giacomelli, 1926 Callicore kohleri Giacomelli, 1926

The Diaethria candrena is a cool butterfly often called the candrena eighty-eight or number eighty. It belongs to the Nymphalidae family, which is a large group of butterflies. You can find this special butterfly flying around in Argentina and Brazil in South America.

What Does It Look Like?

This butterfly has a wingspan (how wide its wings are from tip to tip) of about 40 to 46 millimeters. That's roughly the length of a small paperclip!

• Its top wings (forewings) are mostly black. They have a pretty deep blue color near the body.
• The back wings (hindwings) are also mostly black with that same deep blue color near the body.
• If you look underneath, the front wings are mostly red with a wide black edge.
• The underside of the back wings is mostly white. It has a thin black border and two thin black rings. These rings create a clear "80" shape right in the middle of the wing! This unique pattern is why it's called the "number eighty" butterfly.

What Do They Eat?

The young butterflies, called larvae or caterpillars, like to munch on plants from the Celtis species. These plants are often known as hackberry trees.

Different Types

There are two main types, or subspecies, of the Diaethria candrena butterfly:

• Diaethria candrena candrena: This type is found in Argentina and the Rio Grande do Sul region of Brazil.
• Diaethria candrena longfieldae: This type was identified in 1928 and lives in the Mato Grosso area of Brazil.

See also