Doxocopa agathina

Agathina emperor
male
female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Subfamily:	Apaturinae
Genus:	Doxocopa
Species:	D. agathina
Binomial name
Doxocopa agathina (Cramer, 1777)
Synonyms
Papilio Agatha Cramer, 1777 Nymphalis vacuna Godart, 1824 Doxocopa marse Geyer, 1832 Chlorippe vacuna ab. cretaceata Stichel, 1900 Chlorippe vacuna fluibunda Fruhstorfer, 1907 Apatura vacana Oberthür, 1914 Chlorippe vacuna f. albofasciata Schade, 1944

Doxocopa agathina, the agathina emperor, is a species of butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. It is found in the Guyanas, northern Brazil, and the Amazon region. It is also called the purple emperor but this name may also refer to the European butterfly Apatura iris.

Description

The color of the wings varies by sex. Males have bright blue or purple wings, but the females' wings are darker in color, usually shades of brown. Females also typically have a diagonal orange band across their forewings.^[1] In both sexes, the wingspan measures about 50 millimetres (2.0 inches).^[2]

• 
  Dorsal side
  Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil
• 
  Ventral side
  Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil
• 
  Showing green proboscis
  Cristalino River, Southern Amazon, Brazil
• 
  Male from Tingo Maria, Peru

Subspecies

• Doxocopa agathina agathina (Suriname)
• Doxocopa agathina vacuna (Godart, [1824])^[3] (Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, Paraguay)

References

1. Hoskins, Adrian. "Learn about butterflies". Retrieved 26 January 2012.
2. "Parque Nacional Sangay (Ecuador) : Doxocopa-agathina". Retrieved 26 January 2012.
3. "Doxocopa agathina at Funet". Retrieved 26 January 2012.