Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
2/27/03
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Marry Harris, Reiman Gardens, (515) 294-2567, maharris@iastate.edu
Jean McGuire, Continuing Education and Communication Services, (515) 294-7033,
jmcguire@iastate.edu
Giant Wood Nymphs Are a Tranquil Sight
By Mary Harris
Curator
Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing
When you visit the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing, one of the most remarkable butterflies you will see is the giant wood nymph, Idea leuconoe. This species is no nymph in wingspan (up to 4.5 inches) but most likely was given this name as a result of its graceful flight.
The giant wood nymph is white with black wing veins and spots with a faint yellow on the wings near their base. The flight behavior of these butterflies is slow and graceful, alternating between fluttering wing strokes and gliding dips, resembling paper and likely inspiring its other common names of paper kite and rice paper.
Because this species commonly flies in the shade of the forest canopy in its native habitat (mangrove swamps), observers have described it as “ghostlike,” giving rise to numerous local legends. Visitors can easily see this large butterfly, which resembles lace because of its coloration and flight behavior, in the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing.
The giant wood nymph is native to southeast Asia or the Indo-Australian region. There are several geographic races described for this species, and the Butterfly Wing exhibit includes butterflies from Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia.
I. leuconoe is taxonomically placed in the family Danaidae, subfamily Danainae. Members of this subfamily are all tropical or subtropical and are characterized by wings of blue, orange or white punctuated with bold black veins and spots. A more familiar member of this subfamily is the species Danaus plexippus, the Monarch.
The bold markings and coloration of the wings of the Danainae are closely tied to their larval host plants and the protection these plants provide the butterflies from predators. The larval wood nymphs are similar to monarch caterpillars in that they feed on plants in the Apocenaceae (dogbane) and Asclepiadaceae (milkweed) families. Also like the monarchs, giant wood nymphs are distasteful to predators, and they derive this protection from the toxins produced by their host plants.
The caterpillars ingest these toxic plant compounds as they feed on the leaves of milkweed. The toxins are sequestered by the caterpillars and then transferred to the adults during pupation. The aposematic, or warning coloration, of both adult monarchs and giant wood nymphs advertises their distastefulness to potential predators. As a result, each of these butterfly species has a nonchalant flight pattern unlike more palatable species that generally must fly faster and in a more directed manner.
Giant wood nymphs rely on their host plant’s pharmacopia for more than protection from predators. Male wood nymphs derive precursors of their pheromones for mate attraction from the alkaloids in the host plant. Fertilized females then deposit eggs on host plants where the larvae eat leaves and eventually develop through five stages, or instars.
Giant wood nymph caterpillars are a velvety black with narrow yellow stripes and red markings on the sides. Like monarch larvae, wood nymph caterpillars have several fleshy tubercles that project from either end. When the critical size is attained, the mature larva finds a hidden place to pupate, forming one of the most exquisite chrysalides of bright gold. These golden chrysalides can be seen in the emergence cases at Reiman Gardens’ new Conservatory Complex. Visitors can then observe the tranquil flight of adult giant wood nymphs and nearly 70 other species of exotic and native butterflies in the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing.
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Editors: A color photo, suitable for publication, is available at right. Click on the thumbnail photo to go to the fullsized photo. The picture's fullsize photo is 320K. Caption: Giant wood nymph butterfly (Idea leuconoe). |
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