Pale Cracker
Hamadryas amphichloe (Boisduval, 1870)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Biblidinae
Identification: Upperside is light brown, gray, and white; forewing with a red bar in the cell; males with outer part of wing whitish. Submarginal eyespots of tan hindwing have orange scales outside a black crescent.
Wing Span: 2 15/16 - 3 3/8 inches (7.5 - 8.6 cm).
Life History: Adults perch on tree trunks head downward with their wings spread open. Before dark, adults gather on a single tree, then disperse to roost in nearby trees or shrubs. Males make a cracking noise when they fly.
Flight: Throughout the year in the West Indies.
Caterpillar Hosts: Vine Dalechampia in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae).
Adult Food: Rotting fruit and carrion.
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical forest edges and openings near streams, open fields with trees.
Range: Ecuador north through South America and the West Indies. Reaches the Florida Keys as a rare stray or an import on exotic plants.
Conservation: Not required for rare stray.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 verified sightings
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/pale_cracker_100926_001a.jpg?itok=jGqOrt6y)
Observation date: Sep 26, 2010
Submitted by: rob77897@gmail.com
Region: Puerto Rico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 23, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/_p8a4595.jpg?itok=d34K9Vlp)
Observation date: Apr 21, 2022
Submitted by: Ssneed
Region: Dominican Republic
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 22, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/pale_cracker.jpg?itok=9Z5NdfE9)
Observation date: Apr 16, 2019
Submitted by: jose88
Region: Cayo District, Belize
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 11, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dscn6005_lep_pale_cracker.jpg?itok=S7P0t0_L)
Observation date: Aug 21, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 26, 2020
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/2018_01_katie_in_punta_rucia_26_at_manatee_park_pale_cracker_hamadryas_amphichloe.jpg?itok=xSHDd_rC)
Observation date: Jan 03, 2018
Submitted by: LLJohnson
Region: Dominican Republic
Verified by: Doug Taron
Verified date: Apr 29, 2019
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/filefield_paths/fullsizeoutput_95.jpeg?itok=FBBK2ggO)
Observation date: Aug 01, 2018
Submitted by: ssteelecabrera
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 01, 2018
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/filefield_paths/img_20170621_152422.jpg?itok=tBFMdaaS)
Observation date: Jun 21, 2017
Submitted by: ssteelecabrera
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 01, 2018
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/filefield_paths/pale_cracker.jpg?itok=CQa1lKbs)
Observation date: Feb 07, 2017
Submitted by: wayne13114
Region: Cuba
Verified by: wayne13114
Verified date: Oct 11, 2017
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/2014_10_hamadryas_amphichloe_edis_llj.jpg?itok=nNGffDyV)
Observation date: Oct 12, 2014
Submitted by: LLJohnson
Region: Dominican Republic
Verified by: M. Reith
Verified date: Apr 02, 2015
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/2015_02_pale_cracker_hamadryas_amphichloe_chocal_lllj.jpg?itok=eqmRGwZJ)
Observation date: Feb 16, 2015
Submitted by: LLJohnson
Region: Dominican Republic
Verified by: M. Reith
Verified date: Apr 02, 2015
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/2015_02_pale_cracker_hamadryas_amphichloe_sti_sana_villa_llj.jpg?itok=NdO0sca8)
Observation date: Feb 17, 2015
Submitted by: LLJohnson
Region: Dominican Republic
Verified by: M. Reith
Verified date: Apr 02, 2015
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/2014_06_pale_cracker_at_margies.jpg?itok=CEjNWPVI)
Observation date: Jun 11, 2014
Submitted by: Teresa Jacobs
Region: Dominican Republic
Verified by: Doug Taron
Verified date: Jun 12, 2014
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/hamadryas-amphichloe-diasiapale-crackerllj.jpg?itok=YHoPsH_B)
Observation date: Apr 30, 2012
Submitted by: LLJohnson
Region: Dominican Republic
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 15, 2012
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/hamadryas-amphichloe-diasiapale-or-caribean-cracker-llj.jpg?itok=TWosUKfu)
Observation date: Oct 30, 2011
Submitted by: LLJohnson
Region: Dominican Republic
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 27, 2012
![](/sites/default/files/no-image-icon-480x360.png)
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
![](/sites/default/files/no-image-icon-480x360.png)
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Key Largo County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
![](/sites/default/files/no-image-icon-480x360.png)
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Plantation Key County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004