Pseudobunaea irius

Pseudobunaea irius (Pseudobunaea irius)

Phylum — arthropoda
Class — insecta
Order — lepidoptera
Family — saturniidae

Genus – pseudobunaea

Appearance

The caterpillars are smooth, green with thin white stripes on the sides of the body. There is a row of small orange spots above the band. There is a thin white line running down the back. The entire surface of the back is dotted with small black dots. There are also several white outgrowths on the back.

The wingspan of these butterflies is 12-16 cm. The body of the butterfly is covered with hairs. Males have feathery antennae. The wings are yellow, fawn or orange with a lighter broad band around the edges. On the hindwings there are large bright orange spots with large eyespots in the center.

Habitat

Pseudobunaea irius is found in Africa.

Behavior

These butterflies are nocturnal.

Diet

The caterpillars feed on the leaves of oak trees or plants from the Rosaceae family. Adult butterflies do not feed.

Reproduction

For their reproduction you need a terrarium with a size of 50 x 50 x 70 cm. The female lays eggs in groups of 40-50 on the leaves of the forage plant. The eggs are light gray with a darker marble pattern, oval. If the newborn caterpillars do not begin to feed, they should be placed for 1-2 days in a dark place. It is better to keep the caterpillars in mesh terrariums for 6-8 insects. In the terrarium, you need to place a branch of a forage plant. Forage plants should be replaced every 3-4 days. The temperature is 22-25 ^oC and humidity is 60-70%. The caterpillar pupates in a cocoon. The pupa is brown. The butterfly's life span is 7-10 days.

In captivity

The mesh terrarium with a size of 50 × 50 × 70 mm is suitable for keeping butterflies. Room temperature is necessary.