butterfly of the day: hamadryas

our butterfly of the day is hamadryas, commonly known as (blue) cracker butterflies because of a "cracking" sound that males produce. they are from the nymphalidae family. usually they are really colourful, but some are also known to have little coloration, such as the hamadryas februa.

this is how their underwing looks like.

they are found from south america to arizona, with at least 9 species living in costa rica. they spend their days perching on trees and bolders. hamadryas are often hard to distinguish and mostly have to be examined as set specimens. they are not poisonous and do not have a chemical defense, with the exception of the hamadryas laodamia (starry night cracker).

cracker butterflies can detect the sounds made by other butterflies which is often used as a form of communication. they do not feed on nectar, instead they feed on rotting fruit and animal dung. after they undergo metamorphosis, they lay their eggs on the host plants of the euphorbia family (ex. dalechampia, spurge)