Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Hewitson's Aguna
Aguna aurunce HEWITSON,
1867
Family - HESPERIIDAE
subfamily -
PYRGINAE
Tribe - EUDAMINI
Aguna aurunce, Rio Tambo, Peru
Introduction
The genus
Aguna comprises of 26 medium-large neotropical skippers. All have a
similar pattern of hyaline windows on the forewings, but the configuration
varies from one species to another.
Many of the species including
albistria, metophis,
nicolayi, spicata,
ganna and panama have
long tail-like extensions to the hindwings. In others including
asander, claxon,
coelus, coeloides and
aurunce these tails are vestigial. One feature
common to all species is the presence of a prominent white median stripe on the
underside hindwings. The body and wing-bases of many Aguna
species are fluffy in appearance, being covered with metallic greenish hair-like
scales. In aurunce these scales are golden in
colour.
The most widespread and common
member of the genus is asander, which has a very
broad white band on the underside hindwing, short tails, and an olive-brown
thorax.
Aguna
aurunce is distributed from Colombia to Venezuela, south along the
eastern Andes to Peru, and east into Rondonia, Brazil.
Habitats
This species is found in tropical forest at altitudes between
about 200-1000m.
Lifecycle
Unknown.
Adult behaviour
Aguna are active in hot sunshine. They have a very rapid
flight, but tend to settle for quite long periods to bask with
wings half open on foliage.
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