Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Uncertain Owlet
Bia actorion
HÜBNER, 1819
Family -
NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
MORPHINAE
Tribe - BRASSOLINI
subtribe - BIINA
introduction
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habitats |
lifecycle |
adult behaviour
Bia actorion, Satipo, Peru
Introduction
The classification of butterflies is
subject to constant revision as phylogenetics, DNA analysis and
other techniques lead to new discoveries about the relationships
between species. Consequently many species have undergone several name changes, and some such as
Bia actorion, previously known
as Napho actoriaena, have even
been moved from one family to another !
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The
story of
Bia actorion
As knowledge grows and
the relationships between different taxa are better understood, it
sometimes
becomes necessary for a species to be "moved" into a different
genus, tribe, subfamily or even into a different family.....
The most well known example of this is the
neotropical Bia
actorion, first described by Linnaeus in 1763 as Papilio
actorion, and placed
in the then all-embracing family Papilionidae. The genus Papilio
later became used only for a particular
group of Swallowtail butterflies, so in 1819 Hübner created a new
genus
Bia to
accommodate actorion
and placed it
in the family Satyridae.
In the late 20th century taxonomists concluded that the Satyridae,
Brassolidae,
Amathusiidae,
Acraeidae,
Heliconiidae etc should be
relegated to become subfamilies within the Nymphalidae.
For a while, Bia
actorion ( also known
for a while as Napho
actoriaena ! ) was
retained in the subfamily Satyrinae, but further studies
determined that it really belonged to the Brassolinae.
Currently ( 2009 ) Bia
actorion and it's
close relative Bia peruana
are classified as members of the subtribe Biina
and placed in
the tribe Brassolini. The Morphini ( Antirrhea, Morpho, Caerois
) and the Brassolini ( Bia, Narope, Caligo, Opsiphanes
etc ), and the Oriental Amathusiini are now
regarded as tribes of equal rank within the Morphinae - a
subfamily of the Nymphalidae.
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Bia actorion
is found in the upper Amazon basin areas of Brazil, Ecuador, Peru,
Bolivia and probably further afield. The only other member of the
genus Bia peruana
as its name suggests is restricted to Peru.
Habitats
This species is restricted to undisturbed primary rainforest at altitudes
between about 100-800 metres.
Lifecycle
I have no information
regarding the lifecycle of this species. However other members of the
Brassolini feed as larvae on monocotyledons, using bamboo, plantain, banana,
Heliconia
or palms according to species and it is reasonable to deduce that
Bia
has similar habits.
Adult behaviour
The adults
are fairly common and widespread, usually encountered as
singletons when disturbed from rest while the observer is walking
along narrow forest trails.
They probably feed at
decomposing fruit on the forest floor, but all examples I have
seen ( several dozen in total )
have been found at rest on foliage at heights below one metre, or
seen in flight along dark narrow forest tracks.
If disturbed from
rest the butterflies invariably head deep into the undergrowth and
remain there until long after the perceived threat has passed.
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