About the Orange Daggerwing
Marpesia berania, the amber daggerwing, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. The species was first described by William Chapman Hewitson in 1852. They are a brightly colored, Neotropical butterfly with a unique wing shape, found in Central and northern South America. The amber daggerwing exhibits several interesting characteristics varying from their unusual behavior to their physical traits that make them so distinct.
The genus name Marpesia is derived from Marpess, the wife of Idas, a mortal who decided to go against Apollo when he carried off Marpessa /ˌmɑːrˈpɛsə/ (Ancient Greek: Μάρπησσα). The derivation of berania is not known. The distribution range for Marpesia berania is largely in the Neotropical realm, branching out to Central America and northern South America. Countries inhabited by this species include Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Bolivia. These butterflies are considered to be a commonly found species in Honduras and in Peru. M. berania is found in the tropical rainforests and lowlands of these regions. They are considered to be closely allied or related to the Cyrestis (mapwing butterflies) and Chersonesia... Wikipedia →