Red Lacewing

Appearance

''Cethosia biblis'' is medium-sized butterfly, with a wingspan reaching about 8–9 centimetres . In this species the sexes are dimorphic. In males the dorsal sides of the wings are bright orange-red, framed by a black outline with white spots. The undersides range from bright red to pale brown, interlaced by black and white. This astonishing pattern helps to disguise the shape of the butterfly, while the intense colour of the dorsal sides of the wings is a warning to predators that the Red Lacewing has a bad taste, deriving from the poisonous host plants of the caterpillars. The dorsal sides of the wings of the females are grayish-brownish with black spots and white bands and spots on the black margins.

Caterpillars have several reddish, black and white stripes, a black head and long black spikes that contain poison. In fact they mainly feed on poisonous climbing plants, mainly ''Passiflora'' species .

Naming

* ''Cethosia biblis biblis'' - Assam, C. India – SW. China
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis insularis'' C. & R. Felder, 1861 - Philippines
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis nicobarica'' Felder, 1862 - Nicobar?
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis picta'' C. & R. Felder, [1867] - Sulawesi
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis javana'' C. & R. Felder, [1867] - Java
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis logani'' Distant, 1881 – E. Sumatra
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis tambora'' - Sumbawa
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis narmada'' Fruhstorfer, 1896 - Lombok
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis narmadoides'' de Nicéville, 1898 - Bali
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis perakana'' Fruhstorfer, 1902 – S. Thailand, Peninsular Malaya, Pulau Tioman
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis ceramensis'' Fruhstorfer, 1902 - Serang
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis atia'' Fruhstorfer, 1905 - Kalao
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis alceste'' Fruhstorfer, 1905 - Bawean
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis hainana'' Fruhstorfer, 1908 - Hainan
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis tisamena'' Fruhstorfer, 1912 - India
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis phanaroia'' Fruhstorfer - Hong Kong
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis adantonia'' Fruhstorfer – W. Sumatra
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis sumbana'' Pagenstecher - Sumba
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis floresiana'' Fruhstorfer - Flores
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis sandakana'' Fruhstorfer - Borneo, ?Palawan
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis liacura Fruhstorfer'' - Philippines
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis tagalorum'' Fruhstorfer - Philippines
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis togiana'' Fruhstorfer - Togian Is.
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis buruana'' Holland - Buru
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis amboinensis'' C. & R. Felder, [1867] - Ambon
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis andamanica'' Stichel - Andaman?
⤷  ''Cethosia biblis pemanggilensis'' Eliot, 1978 – Pemanggil

Distribution

This species can be found from the Indian Subcontinent eastwards to Southeast Asia and East Asia, the eastern limit being the Philippines, and the southern limit being to Indonesia.