Ceretes thais is a moth in the family Castniidae. It is found in Brazil. Superficially it looks very like a butterfly, and was originally placed by Dru Drury in the "Papilio (Danaus Festivus)" group which mostly corresponds with modern Nymphalidae.

Ceretes thais
Illustration by Dru Drury
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Castniidae
Genus: Ceretes
Species:
C. thais
Binomial name
Ceretes thais
(Drury, 1782)[1]
Synonyms
  • Papilio thais Drury, 1782
  • Papilio chremes Fabricius, 1793
  • Corybantes nicon Hübner, [1822]
  • Castnia thalaira Godart, [1824]
  • Castnia nicon Gray, 1838 (preocc. Hübner, [1822])
  • Castnia morphoides Walker, [1865]
  • Chremes jonesii Buchecker, [1876]
  • Ceretes thais var. gracillima Houlbert, 1918

Description

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Upper side: Antennae brown. Thorax, abdomen, and anterior wings red brown; the latter having two streaks or bars of a lighter colour crossing them from the anterior edges to the posterior and external ones; one crossing the middle of the wing, the other nearer the tips. Posterior wings orange; the lower part black along the external edge, whereon are placed a row of square orange coloured spots, those next the upper corners reaching to the edge; a black line also crosses these wings, beginning just below the body, and running almost across to the upper corner.

Under side: Palpi and thorax red-brown. Abdomen yellowish. Anterior wings yellowish clay coloured, with three black lines crossing them transversely, the middle one being the broadest. Posterior wings orange brown, with a small white spot placed near the centre. Margins of the wings plain. Wing-span 2+12 inches (64 mm).[2]

References

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  1. ^ Ceretes at funet
  2. ^ Drury, Dru (1837). Westwood, John (ed.). Illustrations of Exotic Entomology. Vol. 3. pp. 22-23. pl. XVI.