title: Eurytides orabilis
text: # Eurytides orabilis
  
  Eurytides orabilis is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is native to the Americas.
  
  ## Description
  
  The wingspan of E. orabilis is 46 to 56 mm (1.8 to 2.2 in). Both sexes are similar. The fore wing is black with the basal, postbasal, and postmedian areas being a cream-white color. A black stripe crosses through the middle of the cream-white area from the costa. The apical area has two creamy spots. The hind wing is black with cream-white basal, postbasal, and postmedian areas. A small red spot is present on the anal margin. The tails are black with yellowish tips.
  
  ## Subspecies
  
  * Eurytides orabilis orabilis (Butler, 1872)
  * Eurytides orabilis isocharis (Rothschild & Jordan 1906)
  
  ## Distribution
  
  The nominate subspecies, E. o. orabilis, is found from Panama to Guatemala, and is also found on Costa Rica. E. o. isocharis is found in Colombia and Ecuador.
  
  ## Behavior
  
  Males often fly above the tree canopy, while females fly along forest edges and streams. Adults use Hernandia didymantha and Cordia megalantha as nectar sources. Freshly emerged males will puddle on wet sand near the edges of streams.
  
  ## Life cycle
  
  Females lay their white eggs singly on the leaves of Guatteria oliviformis and Guatteria tonduzii. The first instars of the caterpillar are gray-brown, with a saddle on the abdominal segments. The head is black, and the anal plate on the abdomen is yellow-green. The fifth instar is green with black spots on the thoracic segments. The first two and last three abdominal segments are also spotted with black. The osmeterium is yellow.
  
  