Orange-banded Shoemaker Butterfly Catonephele orites

The Orange-banded Shoemaker Butterfly, also called the Surinamese Shoemaker, is native to much of the northeast coast of South America and into Central America. The male and female of the species look totally different. Both have a black background. The male, above, has a broad, bright, orange band on the forewings that gives the common name.

The female, above, has three rows of white or off-white dots and dashes and a few rusty red spots similar to those of the Grecian Shoemaker.

Even the brown, camouflaged underside on the males, above left, and the females, above right, differs.

Both male and female look very like the related butterflies Acontius Firewing, Catonephele acontius, and Antinoe Catone, C. antinoe, also from northern South America.

The female topside slightly resembles that of the Common Sargeant butterfly plus the red rust spots.

More male, above left, and female, above centre/right, undersides.