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Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Chaonitis Metalmark
Chalodeta chaonitis
HEWITSON, 1866
Family -
RIODINIDAE
subfamily -
RIODININAE
Tribe - RIODININI
Chalodeta chaonitis Satipo, Peru
Introduction
The neotropical Riodinidae includes a group of genera
-
Chalodeta, Detritivora,
Calephelis,
Charis and Dachetola, which
are
characterised by having an orange submarginal band containing a
series of black dots, and bordered either side by metallic
silver lines. Chalodeta can be
distinguished from the others by the
venation and early stage morphology. The eyes of
Chalodeta also differ in that they
have tiny setae located between the ommatidia.
Chalodeta comprises of 8 known
species found variously from Mexico to Bolivia. Telling them apart
can be
difficult, although chaonitis and
theodora are quite distinctive.
Chalodeta chaonitis is distributed from Venezuela to Peru.
Habitats
This species appears to be confined to primary rainforest east of
the Andes, at altitudes between about 100-1000 metres. It inhabits
the forest understorey and like others in this group of genera is
commonly seen in light gaps in the forest, but can also be found
in forest edge habitats and glades.
Lifecycle
The larvae feed on the flowers of Miconia
longifolia ( Melastomataceae ).
Adult behaviour
Males
habitually bask with the wings raised at an angle of
about 45°, with the
forewings held slightly concave and tilted forward. They can often be found imbibing mineralised moisture from
sand or boulders along the banks of small streams.
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