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Atala Butterfly

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables, Florida

Atala Butterfly

Atala Butterflies (Eumaeus atala) are small (up to about 1¾ inches). Coontie is their only host plant. Commercial harvest of coontie in the late 1800s drastically reduced the Atala’s numbers and later loss of habitat to urbanization almost did them in. They were considered extinct from the mid-1960s until rediscovered on Key Biscayne by South Florida naturalist Roger Hammer in 1979.

Atala butterflies breed throughout the year. They lay clusters of up to 50 eggs. The eggs last 4 - 5 days. Larval stages take about 18 days. During that time they go through up to five instars (all of which look the same), althought they can pupate after the third instar if times are hard. The larvae regroup to pupate. The pupa lasts ten days. Unlike the monarch butterflywebpage, Atalas emerge from the top of their chryslis. The adult lives another three weeks, but under ideal conditions, some have lasted almost three months.

rev: 7/2019

For more information, check out the following blog post: Answers To Your Butterfly Questions: On The Range Of Atala Butterflies.
For more information on the life cycle of other Florida butterflies, check out any of the links of our butterfly collection.

Photographic details: Canon EOS 7D camera w/ EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens set at 100mm. Camera was set for f/11 on aperture priority with no exposure compensation, resulting in a shutter speed of 1/640 sec at ISO 4000.

To order a print of this image, hit the button to the left. Before you do, you may want to check the maximum size estimates or what's currently in stock below. Each item in stock has its own order button.

Print details: maximum size Medium Printed Estimated
  Fine Art Paper 11" x 15" 141/2" x 20"
  Canvas N/A 191/2" x 27"

Currently In Stock

Although we can print to your specifications any size up to the above limits to the nearest 1/16" with any mat and moulding combinations, the below prints are available immediately:

Print Number   Description Price (includes sales tax & shipping)  
Matted:
#3 Matted Atala 3 matted 11"x15" print, black inside blue mats (outside 16"x20") $107
 
Framed:
#1 Framed Atala 1 framed 11"x14", oval black inside white mats, espresso frame (outside 191/8"x221/4") $195
 
#2 Framed Atala 2 framed 11"x14", oval white inside black mats, white frame (outside 191/2"x221/2") $195