Butterflies of the
Amazon and Andes
Itatiaia Owlet
Dasyophthalma geraensis
REBEL, 1922
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
MORPHINAE
Tribe - BRASSOLINI
subtribe -
BRASSOLINA
Dasyophthalma geraensis,
Itatiaia, 1200m, Brazil
© Christian Meyn
Introduction
A few decades ago the Owl butterflies and their close relatives
were considered to be members of a now defunct family - the
Brassolidae. Following revisions by Erlich, Ackery and Wahlberg
all of the Brassolidae were reclassified as members of the
Nymphalid subfamily Morphinae.
The Morphinae includes
about 140 species in the neotropics. Its members include the
dazzling blue Morpho species which are placed in the tribe
Morphini, and the 93 members of the Brassolini tribe. The latter
includes the genera
Blepolenis,
Brassolis, Caligo, Caligopsis,
Catoblepia, Dasyopthalma,
Dynastor,
Mielkella, Eryphanis,
Mimoblepia, Orobrassolis,
Opsiphanes,
Opoptera, Selenophanes and
Penetes. The Brassolini are all
crepuscular or nocturnal in behaviour although some species can
also occasionally be seen flying by day in dark forest.
There are 4 known
Dasyophthalma
species - creusa,
geraensis,
rusina and vertebralis.
Dasyophthalma geraensis
occurs only in south eastern Brazil.
Habitats
This species inhabits rainforest and cloudforest at altitudes between about
800-1600m in the Atlantic forests of south eastern Brazil.
Lifecycle
To be completed.
Adult behaviour
To be completed.
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