Montezuma's cattleheart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Montezuma's Cattleheart |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Subfamily: | |
| Genus: | |
| Species: |
P. montezuma
|
| Binomial name | |
| Parides montezuma (Westwood, 1842)
|
|
The Montezuma's Cattleheart (Parides montezuma) is a beautiful type of butterfly. It belongs to the swallowtail family, which is called Papilionidae. You can find this butterfly flying in parts of North America and South America.
What It Looks Like
The Montezuma's Cattleheart butterfly has mostly black wings. If you look at the top side of its wings, they are all black. But on its bottom wings (called the hind wings), there's a cool row of red shapes along the edge. These shapes look like little half-moons or crescents.
When you look at the underside of its wings, they are also black. The hind wings on the underside have the same row of red crescent shapes as the top side. This makes it easy to spot!
What Caterpillars Eat: Host Plants
Every butterfly starts its life as a caterpillar. Caterpillars need special plants to eat and grow on. These plants are called "host plants." The Montezuma's Cattleheart caterpillar likes to munch on plants from a group called Aristolochia.
Here are some of the specific host plants that Montezuma's Cattleheart caterpillars feed on:
- Aristolochia acanthophylla
- Aristolochia foetida - This plant is also known as Jalisco Dutchman's Pipe.
- Aristolochia grandiflora - This one is often called the Pelican Flower because of its unique shape.
- Aristolochia micrantha
- Aristolochia orbicularis
See Also
- In Spanish: Parides montezuma para niños
