Parides montezuma

Parides montezuma, the Montezuma's cattleheart, is a butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is native to the Americas.

Description
The upperside of the wings is black, without a band and with one row of red crescents along the hindwing margin. The underside of the wings is almost the same as the upperside. A full description is provided by Rothschild, W. and Jordan, K. (1906)

Distribution and habitat
P. montezuma is found in dry forests from Mexico to Costa Rica, occurring from sea level to 700 m. It is rare in Costa Rica, being more common northward. It is not threatened.

Host plants

 * Aristolochia acanthophylla
 * Aristolochia foetida – Jalisco Dutchman's pipe
 * Aristolochia grandiflora – pelican flower
 * Aristolochia micrantha
 * Aristolochia orbicularis

Parides montezuma is a member of the ascanius species group ("Fringe-spots white. Hindwing with submarginal spots and usnally also diseal spots or dots, or a discal band; mostly with tail") A quadrate whitish spot in space 2 of the forewings is quite peculiar of the ascanius group

The members are
 * Parides agavus (Drury, 1782)
 * Parides alopius (Godman & Salvin, [1890])
 * Parides ascanius (Cramer, [1775])
 * Parides bunichus (Hübner, [1821])
 * Parides gundlachianus (C. & R. Felder, 1864)
 * Parides montezuma (Westwood, 1842)
 * Parides phalaecus (Hewitson, 1869)
 * Parides photinus (Doubleday, 1844)
 * Parides proneus (Hübner, [1831])

Etymology
The specific epithet honours the Aztec king Montezuma.