Two-barred Flasher

Appearance

"A. fulgerators adults all look quite alike. They are mid-sized skipper butterflies with the typical wing shape of this group. The upperside is black, with basal to postbasal blue corners which are more extensive on the forewings. There is one discal-tomal and one apical band on the forewing; these are usually off-white to light blue but the former may be quite white towards the costal margin. The thorax has bluish hair on the back, the underside is yellow to orange.

The caterpillars and pupae show a wide range of colors and patterns, and the caterpillars also vary in food preference. Last-instar caterpillars are black with a pattern consisting of light to bright yellow dots along the sides, or rings of varying thickness, sometimes interrupted on the back, in a range of colors varying from white to orange-red.

Reproduction

This species is highly polyphagous, with most foodplants belonging to the Fabaceae :

Selected primary foodplants
⤷  Fabaceae
⤷ * "Inga": "I. exalata", "I. oerstediana", "I. punctata", "I. sapindoides", "I. vera" and probably others
⤷ * "Lonchocarpus"
⤷ * "Senna": Candle Bush, "S. cobanensis", "S. hayesiana", "S. pallida", "S. papillosa", "S. undulata" and probably others
⤷  Malvaceae
⤷ * "Hampea appendiculata"
⤷  Sapindaceae
⤷ * "Cupania": "C. glabra", "C. guatemalensis" and probably others

Selected secondary and accidental foodplants
⤷  Capparaceae
⤷ * "Capparis frondosa"
⤷  Fabaceae
⤷ * "Canavalia brasiliensis"
⤷ * "Cassia": Golden Shower Tree, "C. grandis" and possibly others
⤷ * "Centrosema" : "C. macrocarpum", "C. plumieri" and possibly others
⤷ * "Desmodium glabrum"
⤷ * "Dioclea": "D. malacocarpa", "D. violacea" and possibly others
⤷ * "Mucuna holtonii"
⤷ * "Piscidia carthagenensis"
⤷  Malvaceae
⤷ * "Byttneria catalpaefolia"
⤷  Rhamnaceae
⤷ * "Karwinskia calderoni"
⤷  Salicaceae
⤷ * "Casearia sylvestris"
⤷  Styracaceae
⤷ * "Styrax argenteus"

Food

This species is highly polyphagous, with most foodplants belonging to the Fabaceae :

Selected primary foodplants
⤷  Fabaceae
⤷ * "Inga": "I. exalata", "I. oerstediana", "I. punctata", "I. sapindoides", "I. vera" and probably others
⤷ * "Lonchocarpus"
⤷ * "Senna": Candle Bush, "S. cobanensis", "S. hayesiana", "S. pallida", "S. papillosa", "S. undulata" and probably others
⤷  Malvaceae
⤷ * "Hampea appendiculata"
⤷  Sapindaceae
⤷ * "Cupania": "C. glabra", "C. guatemalensis" and probably others

Selected secondary and accidental foodplants
⤷  Capparaceae
⤷ * "Capparis frondosa"
⤷  Fabaceae
⤷ * "Canavalia brasiliensis"
⤷ * "Cassia": Golden Shower Tree, "C. grandis" and possibly others
⤷ * "Centrosema" : "C. macrocarpum", "C. plumieri" and possibly others
⤷ * "Desmodium glabrum"
⤷ * "Dioclea": "D. malacocarpa", "D. violacea" and possibly others
⤷ * "Mucuna holtonii"
⤷ * "Piscidia carthagenensis"
⤷  Malvaceae
⤷ * "Byttneria catalpaefolia"
⤷  Rhamnaceae
⤷ * "Karwinskia calderoni"
⤷  Salicaceae
⤷ * "Casearia sylvestris"
⤷  Styracaceae
⤷ * "Styrax argenteus"