Common Name The Clipper
Parthenos sylvia
Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae
Range: India to China, Malaysia,, Philippines, New Guinea
Ours arrive from: Malaysia, Philippines

Food: various species in the passion flower vine family (Passifloraceae), including Passiflora spp., Adenia palmata, and Tinospora cordifolia

Notes: This species is probably the most photographed butterfly exhibited in North American butterfly houses, due to its striking color patterns and its habit of sitting open-winged on flowers for long periods of time. These butterflies seem to be undisturbed by the movements of photographers, almost as if posing for a picture. They also come in many color patterns depending upon the place of origin, including a brown-striped subspecies from the Philippines and a blue-striped sub species from Malaysia.