Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Godart's Numberwing
Callicore pygas
GODART, 1824
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
BIBLIDINAE
Tribe - CALLICORINI
Callicore
pygas cyllene, Satipo, Peru
Introduction
There are about 20 species in the genus
Callicore,
all of which bear distinctive and graphic patterns on the underside hindwings,
often resembling numbers or letters of the alphabet. The uppersides of all
species are blackish, marked on the forewings with bright red or orange bands.
The hindwings of several species also have red or orange markings but in most species
they are plain black, with a very reflective brilliant blue sheen.
Unfortunately these beautiful butterflies are killed in vast
numbers for their wings which are used by the souvenir trade for the production
of decorated plates, jewellery, place mats and other trivia.
Callicore pygas is a widespread
butterfly with 8 subspecies, with differ noticeably from each other with
regard to the underside markings. In the type form of
pygas the white band and the metallic blue scaling on
the hindwings are both replaced by pale sandy yellow. Subspecies
eucale is similar to the illustrated
cyllene, except that the submarginal band is
metallic blue instead of white. The butterfly tends to be very variable in
colour, even at a single location.
The upperside of
pygas
is dark brown, with a large bright red patch occupying the basal half of the
forewings. The hindwings are overlaid with a dull blue sheen, and additionally
have a narrow broken pale blue submarginal band. As with other
Callicore species, females are paler in colour than
males, and have reduced blue scaling.
This
species is found in Venezuela, Guyana, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, the
upper Amazonian region of Brazil, and probably also in eastern Ecuador.
Habitats
Callicore pygas is found in tropical rainforest at
altitudes between about 200-1000m.
Lifecycle
I have no
information specific to pygas. In most
Callicore species the eggs are white, and are laid
singly on Serjania,
Allophylus or other Sapindaceae.
Adult behaviour
Males visit sandbanks to imbibe dissolved minerals. They are usually only seen as singletons,
often amidst small aggregations of other
Callicore and Diaethria
species.
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