About Lycorea ilione (Cramer)
Lycorea ilione (Cramer) is an extremely variable species of butterfly. Adults of this species can reach a wingspan of about 10 cm (3.9 in). These large, prominently marked butterflies have antennae with yellow tips, a black thorax with white dots, and a gray abdomen. All of their wings are rounded; the forewings are much longer than the hindwings and have a concave inner edge. The wings are transparent, with black borders, black veins, and dark bands that divide the wings into several distinct areas. Some subspecies are brown overall, and have a brown basal portion on the forewings. Lycorea ilione can be found in Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. It inhabits transitional rainforest and cloudforest environments, at elevations between 500 and 1,500 metres (1,600 and 4,900 ft) above sea level.
