Species Spotlight: The Malachite Butterfly (Siproeta stelenes)
The Malachite Butterfly is a little-known gem in the world of entomology. It boasts beautiful colours and intricate patterns, with sharply shaped wings and a presence that is hard to ignore.
Quick Facts:
Common Name: Malachite Butterfly
Scientific Name: Siproeta stelenes
Family: Nymphalidae
Wingspan: 8 - 10.5cm
Range: From North Brazil through to South Florida and Texas
Conservation: Stable, demonstrably secure
Notable Feature: Named after the green mineral malachite for its striking lime-coloured patches set against black wings
Identification:
The Malachite Butterfly has dusky black wings with vibrant green, lime or yellow, semi-transparent patches on the dorsal side. Both forewing and hindwing are patterned similarly and are designed to resemble the dappled light bouncing off the green foliage around them. Interestingly, the green colour on the wings is made possible by a pigmented liquid between the upper and lower cuticles of the wing membrane; rather than scales on the surface of the wing like most butterflies. The underside of the wing is an olive colour, with golden accents and muted green patches mirroring the dorsal side. The hindwings have small tail projections, giving the edge a jagged appearance.
The dorsal side of the Malachite Butterfly (Siproeta stelenes) - Photo by Didier Descouens, 2012
The Malachite butterfly exhibits seasonal polyphenism, meaning the adults that emerge during the wet season are visibly different to the dry season form. The dry season form tends to be larger and has darker, blackish markings on the underside of the wings, as opposed to the wet season form possessing finer, silver margins. The dorsal side of the wings remains consistent regardless of the season. The Malachite also shows sexual dimorphism. Females are generally larger and slightly paler than males, though the differences are subtle.
The ventral side of the butterfly - Photo by Didier Descouens, 2012
With a wingspan ranging from 8–10.5 cm, this is a relatively large butterfly. Like other members of the family Nymphalidae, it rests on four legs, as the first pair are reduced and used primarily for sensory purposes rather than walking. The antennae are black and clubbed. The body is covered in fine hairs, with black dorsally, and silvery-white with golden-brown banding on the ventral side that extends from the pattern on the underside of the wing.
Similar Species: Sharing a similar appearance and distribution is the Scarce Bamboo Page (Philaethria dido). To tell them apart take note of the wing shape, particularly the forewing and try to disregard colour and pattern. The forewing of the malachite is triangular and robust, where as the Bamboo Page, also called the Dido Longwing, has elongated wings with a more dainty shape. The wingspan of the Bamboo Page is also larger, around 11cm. Behaviourally, the Bamboo Page differs by preferring to coast the high canopy for rainforest flowers, rarely descending to the ground. The Malachite seeks out sunny clearings and generally flies at a lower elevation.
The Dido Longwing (Philaethria dido). Note the elongated forewing in comparison to the Malachite. - Photo by Viktorhauk, 2011.
Taxonomy:
The Malachite Butterfly belongs to the family Nymphalidae; the brush-footed butterflies. This is the largest family of butterflies in the world, containing over 6,000 species, including the popular Blue Morpho and Monarch Butterfly.
First described in 1758 by Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus, the Malachite was given the scientific name Papilio stelenes. This was later revised by Jacob Hubner in 1823 and changed to it's current Siproeta genus to reflect its true evolutionary history.
For over 200 years entomologists and insect collectors have been intrigued by the beautiful Malachite.
This species has 3 distinct subspecies in addition to their nominal species Sipreota stelenes stelenes. Subspecies have minimal visible differences, and with limited genetic studies conducted they are divided by geographical location. Subspecies are S.S. sophene, S.S. meridionalis and S.S. biplagiata.
Distribution and Behaviour:
The Malachite butterfly inhabits sub tropical evergreen and semi-deciduous forests, favouring clearings, forest margins and riparian areas where it can bask in the sunlight to thermoregulate. They're found between sea level to 400m elevation. Able to tolerate urban areas if food sources are abundant, the Malachite is an adaptable species. It's flight style is fast and erratic. Their large wings allow for strong flight, however they often perch on low foliage where their green and black colours work as the perfect camouflage.
A resting Malachite in the lush, dense forest. This one shows the silvery wet season form.
The Malachite butterfly is found neotropical regions of Central and South America, including the Caribbean islands. It's relatively common within it's range, although experts recommend monitoring US populations.
S.S. stelenes is found on the Caribbean islands and common in Puerto Rico. Specimens are also found in Jamacia and Trinidad and are often considered having the boldest green colour of all the subspecies.
The subspecies S.S. sophene is exclusive to the Ecuador region.
S.S. meridionalis is the southern most population. Their range is mostly in Brazil, but specimens have been found in Uruguay.
The only subspecies present in the US is S.S. biplagiata. Their range extends from Peru, common in the Amazon basin, up through Mexico to southern Texas. The Malachite is considered rare in the US and can only be found there in the warmer months, between June and March, but doesn't always appear annually. Strays have been found as far north as Kansas. This subspecies extends east to Cuba and the Cayman Islands. There is a population on the tip of Florida that presumably emigrated from Cuba in the 1960's. A confirmed sighting was recorded in Alabama in 2002.
Diet:
The Malachite butterfly has a varied diet, consisting mostly of rotting fruit. Floridian populations are commonly encountered at orchards growing mango, avocado and citrus fruits. They also feed on nectar from flowers, and the juices from carcasses and bird or bat droppings. Adults often favour protein rich food as they increase reproductive health. The Malachite will fly up to 11.5m high to reach potential food sources and also exhibits a behaviour called puddling, where many butterflies will gather at moist soil, often on the banks of a waterway, to sip up nutrient rich water. The larval form, usually referred to as a caterpillar, eats young leaves from plants within the Acanthaceae family, particularly the Carolina Wild Petunia (Ruellia caroliniensis), Green Shrimp Plant (Blechum brownei) and the Yerba Maravilla (Ruellia coccinea). It has been reported to also feed on Sea Grape (Coccoloba uvifera) though this occurs rarely.
A farmed Malachite butterfly eating fruit.
Lifecycle and Reproduction:
The adult Malachite butterfly lives for roughly 2-4 weeks. The lifecycle stages include egg, larvae, or caterpillar, pupa and finally adult butterfly. The entire lifecycle of the Malachite can last several months and varies depending on environmental factors. Generally, warmer conditions result in accelerated growth and allow the butterfly to reproduce year round. There can be over 3 generations per year in some locations. In Florida, for example, females can have 2-3 broods during summer, and once the winter dry season form has reached adulthood, it slows its metabolism, entering a dormant state called diapause, similar to hibernation. The butterfly becomes active again when warmer weather returns in Spring and the cycle continues.
The gorgeous adult butterfly. - Photo by Sheila Sund from Salem, United States, 2007.
The lifecycle of the Malachite butterfly starts as an egg. The female butterfly lays her eggs singularly on the underside of a leave from the host plant, of which the emerging caterpillar will eat. She will lay only 2 or 3 eggs per plant she visits and is able to detect chemical cues from the foliage to determine the nutrient content of the plant, picking only the best host plants. The eggs laid are small and translucent green with ribs that run vertically along the length of the egg.
The egg hatches roughly a week later and the emerging caterpillar's first meal is its own, nutrient rich eggshell. Interestingly, the caterpillar does not usually eat nearby unhatched eggs, focusing on new growth of the host plant instead. The larvae are small and velvet black in colour with 2 significant horns on the head which vary in colour from black to red. There are spines along the entire length of the caterpillar, which can be bright pink, orange or red with black tips. Unlike the horns on the head, the spines are branched at the ends. The anal claspers are a dull purple. The caterpillar goes through 5 growth stages, known as instars. The caterpillar will molt between each instar to allow for more growth, the rate at which they progress through instars depend on temperature and food availability. Larvae are solitary and spend all of their time eating and resting on the underside of leaves. Mortality rate at this stage of the lifecycle is high, and predators include birds, ants and other insects.
Once the caterpillar has reached the final instar it will search for a place the pupate, usually on a nearby branch of the host plant. Once a location has been established the caterpillar hangs in a "J" shape from a silk pad. The outer layer of skin splits at the head revealing the hardened chrysalis underneath. Once the final molt is discarded the chrysalis (also called a pupa) remaining is lime green in colour and has an angular shape. The pupa has 4 rows of short gold spikes, two dark horns at the bottom of the chrysalis and has small black dots all over. The golden spikes are sharp and are able to puncture any animal attempted to prey on the chrysalis. The colour of the chrysalis will gradually change from green to dull black as the butterfly develops inside. Eventually the pupa will look transparent, and the butterfly inside will be visible, meaning it's emergence from the chrysalis is imminent.
With intricate detail on both sides of the butterfly, displaying in a dome is a no brainer!
Once free from their chrysalis, the butterfly will hang upside down as their wings expand. Fluid from the abdomen is pumped into the wings to inflate them, usually taking between 30 minutes and two hours. This period makes the butterfly vulnerable, so they tend to emerge from their chrysalis early in the morning to avoid predation while their mobility is limited. When the butterfly is able to fly, they focus on finding sustenance and reproducing. Males will seeking out multiple females and either patrol small territories in search of potential mates or perch and wait for them to fly past. The male will approach the female aerially and mating can occur while in flight. If copulation occurs mid flight, the male will typically carry the weight, while the female hangs attached to the male by his claspers at the end of the abdomen. Malachite butterflies also engage in hilltopping. This is where large numbers of butterflies will congregate along ridges and hills of high elevation. This behaviour allows for a high concentration of potential mates, increasing the likelihood of successful mating. Once copulation has occurred, the female will search out suitable plants to lay her eggs. Malachite butterflies can lay up to 100 eggs throughout their lifetime.
The Malachite Butterfly In Art:
Malachite butterflies are loved in art for their vibrant green markings contrasting against black wings. They have an ethereal glow and a bold presence, making them sort after among insect collectors. Both sides of the butterfly are beautiful and the Malachite is a popular subject for painters, photographers and drawings. Thankfully, the Malachite butterfly is relatively easy to raise in captivity and is often farmed in butterfly houses around the world. This allows for sustainable and ethical use in art without impacting wild populations.
