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''Agrias'' is a genus of charaxine nymphalid butterflies found in South and Central America. The German lepidopterist Hans Fruhstorfer had this to say "In this magnificent tropical genus, upon which nature seems to have showered all her abundance of most brilliant colours, and which is, therefore, justly called the "princely race" of the Nymphalidae, we are most surprised to meet a repetition of two genera of not less abundant colours: the ''Callithea'' and ''Catagramma'', except that the ''Agrias'' species greatly excel the latter in size and magnificent colours, and only the males of this genus bear a sexual distinction in the shape of a hair-brush on the hindwings. Some of them, like the famous ''A. sardanapalus'', having been first discovered by Bates in the Amazon Valley, are of an absolutely charming beauty, and the contrast of its purple-red forewings beaming through a blue lustre hued over them as if in a violet purple gloss, with the brilliantly sapphire-blue hindwings, is undoubtedly one of the most magnificent sights that nature has ever produced in the whole world of butterflies."〔Fruhstorfer, H., 1913. Family: Morphidae. In A. Seitz (editor), ''Macrolepidoptera of the world'', vol. 5: 333–356. Stuttgart: Alfred Kernen.〕 Prized by collectors, these large, showy butterflies have had hundreds of names applied to polymorphic variants. ==Description== The species of the genus ''Agrias'' have, variously, very bright red, orange, iridescent blue and yellow colouration contrasting on the black or bluish background of their upperside wing. The underside wings are patterned. They have a robust appearance (broad thorax and short wide abdomen) allowing fast flight.The wingspan is 70mm. – 120 mm. Males of all ''Agrias'' species have prominent yellow tufts of androconial scales on the hindwings.These disperse pheromones for attracting suitable mates. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Agrias」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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