Variable cattleheart facts for kids
The Variable Cattleheart (Parides erithalion) is a beautiful type of butterfly. It belongs to a group of butterflies called the Papilionidae family. You can find this butterfly in parts of North America and South America.
Quick facts for kids Variable Cattleheart |
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P. erithalion
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| Parides erithalion (Boisduval, 1836)
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What Does It Look Like?
The Variable Cattleheart butterfly has mostly black wings. On the top side of its back wings (called the hind wings), you'll see a line of bright red spots. If you look at the underside of its wings, they are also black. But on the bottom of the hind wings, there's a row of pretty pink and whitish spots.
Life Cycle
Like all butterflies, the Variable Cattleheart goes through different stages in its life.
- The eggs of this butterfly are a brownish color.
- When the eggs hatch, a caterpillar appears. This caterpillar is brownish-black with some white and reddish-brown areas.
What Do They Eat?
The Variable Cattleheart caterpillar eats a special plant called Aristolochia cordiflora. This plant is known as its "host plant." Butterflies often lay their eggs only on certain types of plants that their caterpillars can eat.
Images for kids
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P. e. smalli, female, Panama
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Seitz
_female.jpg)
See Also
In Spanish: Parides erithalion para niños
