Memphis leonida is a species of leafwing found in South America. *
Subspecies Memphis leonida leonida present in Peru, Brazil and Suriname. Memphis leonida editha (Comstock, 1961) present in Brazil. Description Memphis leonida is a butterfly with forewings with a humped costal edge, pointed apex, concave outer edge near the apex, hook-shaped inner angle, concave inner edge and hind wings each with a club-shaped tail. The upper side of the male's wings is more or less dark purple with a broad basal metallic blue suffusion, the female's is brown with a broad basal metallic blue suffusion.The underside is beige to bright orange and simulates a dead leaf. It is characterized by its peculiar colouring of the upper surface. It is very common in the forests of Peru. Comstock, W. P.1961. Butterflies of the American Tropics: the genus Anaea. Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae. New York: Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 214pp,30pl. D'Abrera, B. 1988. Butterflies of the Neotropical Region, Nymphalidae, Satyridae. Victoria: Hill House. Pp. 680-723.; present in Mexico, Guatemala, and Panama. Julius Rober ANAEA in Seitz.A. Band 5: Abt. 2, Die exotischen Großschmetterlinge, Die Großschmetterlinge des amerikanischen Faunengebietes, 1907 580 et seq. References