Marpesia eleuchea, the Antillean daggerwing, is a species of butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in the West Indies. Occasional strays can be found in the Florida Keys.

Marpesia eleuchea
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Marpesia
Species:
M. eleuchea
Binomial name
Marpesia eleuchea
Synonyms
  • Nymphalis pellenis Godart, [1824]

The wingspan is 67–83 mm. Adults feed on the nectar of various flowers, including Tournefortia, Cordia, Lantana, and Eupatorium species.[2]

The larvae feed on Ficus species.

Subspecies

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Plate accompanying Jacob Hübner's original description
  • Marpesia eleuchea eleuchea (Cuba)
  • Marpesia eleuchea bahamensis Munroe, 1971 (Bahamas)
  • Marpesia eleuchea dospassosi Munroe, 1971 (Dominican Republic)
  • Marpesia eleuchea pellenis (Godart, [1824]) (Antilles)

References

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  1. ^ "Marpesia Hübner, 1818" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. ^ Butterflies and Moths of North America