Archaeoprepona chromus

Archaeoprepona chromus is a species of Neotropical charaxine butterflies in the family Nymphalidae, native to South America. It was observed to have an unusual for Nymphalidae behavior, in which it responds to an approaching predator with sagittal movements of its hindwings.^[1]

Archaeoprepona chromus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Tribe:	Preponini
Genus:	Archaeoprepona
Species:	A. chromus
Binomial name
Archaeoprepona chromus (Guérin-Ménéville, 1844)
Synonyms
List Noreppa chromus (Guérin-Ménéville, 1844) Nymphalis (Prepona) chromus Guérin-Méneville, [1844] Prepona hercules Doubleday, 1848 (nom. nud.) Prepona hercules Doubleday, [1849] Prepona hercules ab. ochracea (Fassl, 1912) Prepona chromus fassli Röber, 1914 Prepona chromus chiliarches Fruhstorfer, 1916 Prepona chromus xenarchus Fruhstorfer, 1916 Prepona chromus obsoleta Orfila, 1950 Prepona chromus f. synchroma Staudinger, 1886

Taxonomy

The following subspecies are recognised:

• Archaeoprepona chromus chromus (Guérin-Ménéville, 1844) (Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Peru, Argentina)
• Archaeoprepona chromus priene (Hewitson, 1869) (Colombia)

Description

The wingspan is about 85 mm.^[2]

Distribution and habitat

Montane forest at 1500 to 2000 metres in the Neotropical realm.

Sangay National Park, Ecuador