Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Midas Skipper
Bungalotis midas CRAMER,
1775
Family - HESPERIIDAE
subfamily -
PYRGINAE
Tribe - EUDAMINI
Bungalotis midas, Satipo, Peru
Introduction
The genus
Bungalotis comprises of 10 species, found variously from Mexico to Brazil
and Peru.
They are medium-large sized butterflies,
with red eyes, and very long antennae. Males of most of the species are quite
similar to midas, although
erythus differs completely, being dark olive-brown with a very
distinctive pattern of hyaline spots on fore and hind wings. In all species the
males have a very pronounced androconial fold on the costa of the forewings.
Bungalotis
females are very different in appearance to the males, so much so that it is
difficult for novices to believe they belong to the same genus. Their wings have
a dark olive ground colour, and are marked with series of large hyaline spots
that link together to form a broad diagonal band on the forewings.
Bungalotis midas is
distributed from Mexico to Peru and southern Brazil.
Habitats
This species is found in tropical and subtropical forest at altitudes between
about 100-1200m.
Lifecycle
To be completed.
Adult behaviour
Bungalotis are crepuscular in behaviour,
flying for only a short period around dusk. They have a
rapid coursing flight, low over the ground, and are impossible to
identify until they settle to feed. They tend to be seen as
singletons amidst small aggregations of
Nascus, Porphyrogenes and
other crepuscular species.
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