Anartia jatrophae (white peacock) is a species of butterfly found in the southeastern United States, Central America, and throughout much of South America. The white peacock's larval hosts are water hyssop (Bacopa monnieri), [1] [2] lemon bacopa (Bacopa caroliniensis), [3] tropical waterhyssop (Bacopa innominata), [4] frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora), [5] lanceleaf frogfruit (Phyla lanceolata), [6] and Carolina wild petunia (Ruellia caroliniana). [7] [8] [9] The males of the species display a unique territorial behavior, in which they stake out a territory typically 15 meters in diameter that contains larval host plants. They perch in this area and aggressively protect it from other insects and other male white peacocks. [10]
