The Red Cracker butterfly is strikingly beautiful with bright metallic blue and black calico coloration on the dorsal side, bold white stripe across its forewings, complimented by fiery red-orange on the ventral of the hindwing. 
   They gets their name because the males are able to produce a crackling sound, reminiscent of bacon cooking in a frying pan. They make the sound when they take off, by twanging a pair of spiny rods on their abdomen against their anal claspers. Both males and females can detect the sound produced by the males, using tiny, hollow cells covered by membranes on their wings.
   As they vibrate, they stimulate nerve endings. It is believed that males produce this crackling sound as a territorial defense against other males, or possibly to attract females during courtship.
   Hamadryas amphinome are widespread throughout tropical America, from Mexico throughout the Caribbean and Central America, and South America through the Amazon basin and south into Argentina. They are found in secondary and disturbed rainforest and dry forest, in the lowlands and foothills up to 1500 meters.
  .Red Crackers rest head down on tree trunks, often high up (10+ meters), with wings spread flat against the bark.
   Males defend territories while waiting for receptive females to pass through. After mating the female lays her eggs on the underside of the host plants. The eggs are laid in a chain-like pattern which can be up to 15 eggs long.
   Once the caterpillars emerge from their eggs they feed on the host plant as a group.
   There are multiple broods each year which makes it possible to find adults flying year round in the warmest parts of their range.
    The Red Cracker’s bright colors allow it to stand out and be rather easy to spot.
   They descend to the ground to feed on rotting fruit, and will visit platform feeders.
   Crackers (genus Hamadryas, 20 species) are found only in the American tropics, with several species venturing into the southern USA.
   Their lifespan as butterflies is approx. 2 weeks.