Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Glittering Mantle
Caria
sponsa
STAUDINGER,
1887
Family - RIODINIDAE
subfamily -
RIODININAE
Tribe - RIODININI
introduction
|
habitats |
lifecycle |
adult behaviour
Caria sponsa, Satipo,
Peru
Introduction
The genus
Caria
contains some of the most beautiful and elusive species on Earth.
Although fairly common they are rarely seen due to their secretive habits, and
are virtually impossible to follow in flight. Once seen these glittering jewels
of the Amazon are never forgotten.
Lepidopterists
often feel quite overwhelmed by the beauty of these butterflies, but initial
feelings of ecstasy are soon replaced by the rapid onset of frustration,
anguish, despair and an uncontrollable urge to spend the next 2 hours hawking
relentlessly in the vicinity of the sighting, peering into bushes, crawling
about on the ground and searching every nook and cranny, while muttering and
pleading with the butterfly to reveal itself !
There are 14 species in the
genus Caria, 5 of which are restricted to Central America, while the
others including mantinea
and sponsa
are found primarily in Amazonia and the foothills of the eastern Andes.
Several of the species including
mantinea,
plutargus,
castalia
and
smaragdina
are almost identical on the upperside.
Caria sponsa
and chrysame
are quite different from these, having the glittering green scales
extending uninterrupted across the entire basal area of the forewings, and
completely covering the hindwings. These two species can be distinguished from
each other by the presence of a thin metallic green post median vertical line
in chrysame.
Caria
sponsa appears to be
confined to eastern Peru.
Caria sponsa, Rio Shima, Satipo,
Peru
Habitats
This species is confined to primary rainforest at altitudes between about
200-600m.
Caria sponsa, Rio Madre de Dios,
Peru
Lifecycle
Unknown.
Caria sponsa, Rio Madre de Dios,
Peru
Adult behaviour
The adults
probably spend much of their time in the canopy as they are very
rarely seen in flight at lower levels, and do not usually bask on
low foliage.
They are
exceedingly elusive and seen only when they descend to imbibe
water from the edges of pools or shallow streams. They tend to suddenly
appear out of nowhere, flit about very rapidly over pebbles on the
bed of streams, and then vanish completely from sight. Sometimes
they settle on boulders or tree trunks, looking from a distance
exactly like a tiny patch of moss. It is likely that they
also hide away between rocks or within crevices as happens with other
Caria
species.
Caria sponsa, Rio Shima, Satipo,
Peru
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