Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Thesprotia Sister
Adelpha thesprotia
FELDER & FELDER, 1867
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
LIMENITIDINAE
Tribe - LIMENITIDINI
Adelpha thesprotia, Rio Madre de Dios, Peru
Introduction
Adelpha
butterflies are colloquially known as "Sisters". In terms of
appearance they are reminiscent of the White Admirals (
Limenitis
) of Eurasia, and share with them a fondness for flitting gracefully around the
lower branches of trees in the dappled sunlight of the forest.
There are 85 known species of
Adelpha,
all but one of which are confined to Central and South America. The butterflies
are characterised by having a distinctive blackish marbled pattern overlaid on a
brown ground colour; and by the presence of a broad orange or white band on the
forewings. The hindwings of most species have a white median band.
While it is easy to recognise the genus, determining the individual
species
can sometimes be very difficult - a problem exacerbated by misidentified or
mislabelled specimens in certain entomological books. The only reliable
identification resource
is "The genus Adelpha" by Keith Willmott.
Accurate identification requires
careful examination of the configuration of orange markings in the subapical area
on the forewing. In most cases it is also essential to examine the patterning on
the undersides, by which means otherwise similar species can be
distinguished.
Adelpha thesprotia
occurs from Venezuela to Bolivia.
Adelpha thesprotia, Rio Madre de Dios, Peru
Habitats
This
species
is found in primary and secondary rainforest in the Amazon, and at altitudes
below about 1300m in the eastern Andes.
Lifecycle
I have no data specific to
thesprotia. The following generalisations apply to
the genus Adelpha:
The
eggs of most
species are white or pale green, and are laid singly on leaves of the foodplants
which include
Rubiaceae, Moraceae, Urticaceae, Verbenaceae, Melastomaceae, Bombacaceae,
Ulmaceae, Piperaceae, Tiliaceae or Ericaceae according to species.
The
young larvae nibble away at the tips of leaves, leaving the midrib projecting.
They construct a chain of frass along the midrib and rest at the end of it. The
frass chains appear to act as a deterrent to ants, spiders and parasitoids which
find it difficult to walk on them. When fully grown the larvae are cryptically coloured
and resemble bird droppings, mossy twigs or bits of curled up dead leaf. They
have 2 rows of conspicuous spines along
their backs, those on the first two segments being enlarged and directed forward,
while the third pair are directed backward. The
pupae, which are suspended by the cremaster, are in some species green or brown,
while others are entirely silver, and shiny. The pupae of some species are
decorated with numerous spikes and projections, and sometimes have very
prominent palpi.
Adult behaviour
Like most
Adelpha species this butterfly is usually seen singly or in small
groups.
Males can often be found in mixed Nymphalid aggregations imbibing
moisture on riverbanks or sunny forest tracks. They also feed at
dung, urine soaked soil and decomposing fruit on the forest floor;
and prefer to feed in dappled sunlight, avoiding exposed river
beaches.
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