Orange Cracker Hamadryas fornax (Hübner, [1823])

Family: Nymphalidae

Subfamily: Biblidinae

Identification: Underside of forewing is brown with white spots and a red bar in the cell; hindwing is yellow-orange with a few white spots in a brown marginal patch.

Wing Span:

Life History: Eggs are laid in strings of 5-10 on the underside of host plant leaves. Caterpillars live and feed communally. Males appear to be territorial and make cracking sounds when they fly toward each other. Adults perch on tree trunks head downward with their wings spread open. Just before dark, adults perch communally on a single tree, then disperse to roost in nearby trees or shrubs.

Flight: Many flights all year in Mexico.

Caterpillar Hosts: Vine Dalechampia in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae).

Adult Food: Rotting fruit and other non-floral resources.

Habitat: Along trails and openings in wet tropical forests.

Range: Bolivia and Brazil north through Central America to Mexico. A rare stray to the lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas.

Conservation: Not required for a rare stray.

NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.

Management Needs: None reported.

Comments: NULL

Get your BAMONA Gear!

Visit the BAMONA Shop

Hoodies and t-shirts in two designs!

Please donate!

We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.

Advertise with us!

Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.