LepidopteraNymphalidae – Brush-footed Butterflies

Juno Heliconian - Hodges#4414.1

Dione juno

This record describes Dione juno (species). Recorded family: Nymphalidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.

Identification and Appearance

Juno Heliconian - Hodges#4414.1 - Dione juno — Contributed by William Edwards; Additional contributions by Mike Quinn

This is the first U.S. record for this species. Initial identification by Javier DeLeon and Dan Jones.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily: Papilionoidea
Family: Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Subfamily: Heliconiinae
Tribe: Heliconiini
Genus: Dione (Silverspots)

Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.

Habitat and Range

Geographic Range

E & W Mexico through C. Amer. (BOA)

Diet and Behavior

Diet: In Costa Rica, D. juno feed on Passiflora vitifolia, P. alata, P. platyloba , and P. edulis

Life History

Caterpillars are gregarious (Brown, 1981) Life History photos - BOA

Additional species information

Species notes from the sources

Etymology: Juno is an ancient Roman goddess, the protector and special counselor of the state. She is a daughter of Saturn and sister (but also the wife) of the chief god Jupiter and the mother of Mars and Vulcan. - Wikipedia The month of June is named after her as well.

About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group

Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Dione juno. Species-specific details appear above.

Group overview

Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.

Ecological role of the group

Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.

Economic and practical significance of the group

Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.

Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.

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