Cramer’s 88

Diaethria clymena is a biblidine nymphalid. A genomic classification places Diaethria as a subgenus within Callicore, producing the alternative combination Callicore (Diaethria) clymena. [2][3]

The upperwings are black with an iridescent blue forewing band. Beneath, red and white fields are divided by black lines; the paired hindwing loops resemble the numerals 88. The thickness and form of these lines vary among subspecies. [1]

The species occurs in the Neotropics, including Amazonian and Andean regions, Central America, and Trinidad and Tobago. Habitats include rainforest and cloud forest. Brazilian janeira populations studied near Campinas occupied secondary woodland and the Santa Genebra forest reserve. [1][2]

At the Campinas study sites, females deposited eggs singly beneath leaves near the petiole. Newly hatched larvae ate the eggshell before moving to the leaf tip. The fifth-instar larva was green with long, branched head processes; yellow body stripes disappeared before pupation. The green pupa retained a yellow lateral stripe and small pale dorsal spots. [2]

Trema micrantha was the sole larval host recorded at both Campinas study sites. Adult butterflies take liquids from rotting fruit and dung; males also visit mineral-rich wet ground. [1][2]

First- to third-instar larvae fed at the leaf tip while leaving the central vein intact. They extended this vein with frass and silk to form a narrow resting structure. Older larvae raised the head and front of the body when disturbed, then wriggled under continued stimulation. [2]

A 2021 genomic analysis grouped Diaethria and Perisama within Callicore on the basis of their close relationships and relative genetic divergence. The species epithet clymena remains the same under either generic treatment. [3]

Keep the enclosure closed and display it in indirect light, away from heat and damp conditions. Handle the frame by its edges and clean only its exterior according to the maker’s instructions.