- Alcides metaurus
-
Alcides metaurus 
Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Lepidoptera Family: Uraniidae Genus: Alcides Species: A. metaurus Binomial name Alcides metaurus
(Linnaeus, 1763)Synonyms - Nyctalemon metaurus Hopffer, 1856
- Nyctalemon zodiaca Butler, 1869
- Alcides zodiaca
Alcides metaurus is a moth of the Uraniidae family. It is known from the tropical north of Queensland.[1]
The wingspan is about 100 mm. Adults are black with iridescent bands of yellow and pink. The underside is iridescent pale green with black bands. They are on wing during the day and feed on flower nectar. They rest with their wings open and out flat.
The larvae feed on various Euphorbiaceae species, including Endospermum medullosum, Endospermum myrmecophilum and Omphalea queenslandiae. These plants contain poisons which might protect the larvae from predation. There are various instars, with colours varying from green with a black band, to black with white bands and a red thorax, to red with black bands and orange legs. Pupation takes place in a cocoon made in a crevice or between dead leaves.
References
This article relating to the Geometroidea superfamily is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
