About Anartia jatrophae (Linnaeus, 1763)
Anartia jatrophae, commonly known as the white peacock, is a species of butterfly. Its distribution covers the southeastern United States, Central America, and most of South America. The larval host plants of the white peacock include water hyssop (Bacopa monnieri), lemon bacopa (Bacopa caroliniensis), tropical waterhyssop (Bacopa innominata), frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora), lanceleaf frogfruit (Phyla lanceolata), and Carolina wild petunia (Ruellia caroliniana). Males of this species exhibit distinctive territorial behavior. They claim a territory that is typically 15 meters in diameter and contains the species' larval host plants. They perch within this area and aggressively defend it from other insects and other male white peacocks.
