Archonias

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Panorpida
Cladus: Amphiesmenoptera
Ordo: Lepidoptera
Subordo: Glossata
Cladus: Coelolepida
Cladus: Myoglossata
Cladus: Neolepidoptera
Infraordo: Heteroneura
Cladus: Eulepidoptera
Cladus: Ditrysia
Cladus: Apoditrysia
Cladus: Obtectomera
Superfamilia: Papilionoidea

Familia: Pieridae
Subfamilia: Pierinae
Tribus: Pierini
Subtribus: Aporiina
Genus: Archonias
Species: A. brassolis
References

Williams, M.C., 2008: Checklist of Afrotropical Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea

Archonias is a monotypic genus of butterflies in the family Pieridae. Archonias brassolis, the cattleheart white, is its sole species. It is found from Central America, south through most of South America.
A. b. tereas

The wingspan is 56–65 mm for A. b. rubrosparsa and 31–34 mm for A. b. approximata.

Although Archonias brassolis is a member of the whites family, it is primarily black, with red hindwing patches and white forewing patches. It is geographically variable, with some forms being remarkable mimics of various Parides swallowtails, while others strongly resemble Heliconius. It is likely that these butterflies are themselves unpalatable and thus Müllerian mimics.

The larvae feed on Loranthaceae species and are gregarious. Adults of A. b. approximata have been recorded feeding on the nectar of Eupatorium species.
Subspecies

A. b. approximata (Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama)
A. b. brassolis (Surinam, Guianas)
A. b. critias (Venezuela, Colombia)
A. b. cutila (Ecuador)
A. b. marcias (Brazil)
A. b. negrina (Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, Peru)
A. b. nigripennis (Colombia)
A. b. rosacea (Ecuador, Venezuela)
A. b. rubrosparsa (Ecuador)
A. b. tereas (Brazil)

There is also one undescribed subspecies from Colombia.