Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law. Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay. Photographs on this web-site were taken by Paul Smith, Hemme Batjes, Regis Nossent, Alberto Esquivel and Hugo del Castillo and are used with their permission.
ITHOMIINAE - CLEARWINGS AND TIGERWINGS
A distinctive but decidedly confusing group of butterflies characterised by their long, thin wings. Great similarity beteen species and individual variability means that identification should be attempted with care. This is an extraordinary group of unpalatable species, all of which are involved in Mullerian mimicry rings. The unpalatability of the species is down to the presence of alkaloids in their system which they obtain from their food as larvae.
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FIGURE 2a

FIGURE 2a
FIGURE 2b

FIGURE 2b
FIGURE 2c

FIGURE 2c
FIGURE 2d

FIGURE 2d
FIGURE 2e

FIGURE 2e
FIGURE 2f

FIGURE 2f
FIGURE 2g

FIGURE 2g
FIGURE 2h

FIGURE 2h
FIGURE 1a

FIGURE 1a
FIGURE 1b

FIGURE 1b
FIGURE 1c

FIGURE 1c
FIGURE 1d

FIGURE 1d
FIGURE 1e

FIGURE 1e
FIGURE 1f

FIGURE 1f
FIGURE 1g

FIGURE 1g
FIGURE 1h

FIGURE 1h
FIGURE 1i

FIGURE 1i
FIGURE 1j

FIGURE 1j
Gallery 1 - Clearwings
FIGURE 1a - Olena Clearing Aeria olena - Hotel Tirol, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith May 2007).
FIGURE 1b - Big-bordered Dircenna Dircenna dero - Encarnación, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith May 2007).
FIGURE 1c - Mixed roost of mostly Dircenna dero with some Episcada hymeneae - PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith June 2007 - ECOSARA Biodiversity Database).
FIGURE 1d - Crystalina Episcada hymenaea - Hotel Tirol, Departamento Itapúa (Regis Nossent July 2005).
FIGURE 1e - Crystalina Episcada hymenaea -  Encarnación, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith April 2007).
FIGURE 1f - Watermark Epityches eupompe - PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith June 2007 - ECOSARA Biodiversity Database).
FIGURE 1g - Yellow-banded Crystalina Mcclungia (cymo) salonina - Hotel Tirol, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith May 2007).
FIGURE 1h - Themisto Clearwing Methona themisto - upper photo Encarnación, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith May 2007), lower photo Hotel Tirol, Departamento Itapúa (Regis Nossent July 2005).
FIGURE 1i - Bluish Crystalina Pseudoscada errusca - Encarnación, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith August 2007).
FIGURE 1j - Blue Crystalina Pteronymia sylvo - Hotel Tirol, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith May 2007).

The last two species Pseudoscada errusca and Pteronymia sylvo are extremely similar. Note the slight difference in the hindwing venation.
Gallery 2 "Orange Tigerwings"
An exceptionally variable and complicated group with extreme similarity between species within the group and other unrelated species in other groups - they form part of complex mimic rings.
FIGURE 2a - Euclea Tigerwing Hypothyris euclea with yellow spots on wing borders - Encarnación, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith May 2007).
FIGURE 2b - Euclea Tigerwing Hypothyris euclea with white spots on wing borders - Hotel Tirol, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith May 2007).
FIGURE 2c - Confused Tigerwing Mechanitis lysimnia with black spot separate from wing border - PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith March 2007 - ECOSARA Biodiversity Database).
FIGURE 2d - Confused Tigerwing Mechanitis lysimnia with black spot joining wing border- Hotel Tirol, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith May 2007).
FIGURE 2e - Placidina euryanassa - Pilar, Departamento Ñeembucú (Andres Contreras undated).
FIGURE 2f - Harmonia Tigerwing Tithorea harmonia - Encarnación, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith April 2007).
FIGURE 2g - Harmonia Tigerwing Tithorea harmonia with different pattern at lower corner of forewing - Hotel Tirol, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith May 2007).
FIGURE 2h - Harmonia Tigerwing Tithorea harmonia with slightly different underwing pattern - Hotel Tirol, Departamento Itapúa (Regis Nossent July 2005).