Parides is a genus of poisonous butterflies very common in Tropical America, characterised by showy red and black colouration: a warning message for predators. Males have tufts of white hair, hidden in a fold of the hindwing, which they exhibit only during courtship. These are special hairs (androconial hairs) and have the function of dispersing pheromones, an odour necessary to convince the female to mate. Sex pheromones are a chemical identity card that serves to avoid misunderstandings: in Parides they allow the female to understand if the males who court her belong to her own species and, consequently, if it would be an appropriate mate.
origin: Central America
