Escudo de la República de Colombia Escudo de la República de Colombia
Panel de Accesibilidad

✎ Andrés Rodriguez

✎ Andrés Rodriguez

✎ Camilo Alméciga

Two-eyed Eighty-eight
Callicore pitheasAmazon region

  • Generalities
  • Morpho-functionality
  • Lifecycle
  • Distribution

RECORRIDO VIRTUAL POR LA BIODIVERSIDAD DE COLOMBIA
Museo de Historia Natural
Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Two-eyed Eighty-eight
Callicore pitheas

These small to medium-sized butterflies are known by their spots that look like a pair of numbers on the underside of their hind wings. The adults feed on the nectar and juices of some plant species, but they are often seen on the edges of the forest obtaining salts for their consumption from small poodles or excrement. This butterfly is widely distributed over the eastern mountain range and the Amazon basin.

Conservation status

Extinct

Extinct in the Wild

Critically Endangered

Endangered

Vulnerable

Near Threatened

Least Concern

Not Evaluated

Data Deficient

Morpho-functionality

Antennae

It has large, branched, and abundant scoli in several parts of the body for protection against predators.

Coiled Tongue

By means of the coiled tongue, the butterflies can reach and drink the nectar inside the flowers.

Wings

The striking colors of their wings serve to warn a potential predator that these butterflies have an unpleasant taste and also allow those of the same species to be recognized.

Lifecycle

The egg is cylindrical with ridges around the dorsal part. They have a series of distally branched spines named scoli that can be stinging and are distributed throughout the head and body of the caterpillars. The pupa usually have two patterns of green hue. In this subfamily of butterflies (Biblidinae) the posture of a single egg per leaf has been seen in several plants of the Sapindaceae family.

Two-eyed Eighty-eight

Distribution

It is commonly seen it in the tropical areas of Central and South America. The biology of C. pitheas has been little studied and some authors describe it as a rare species to see.

Distribution area