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Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Marbled Duskywing
Ebrietas anacreon
STAUDINGER, 1876
Family - HESPERIIDAE
subfamily -
PYRGINAE
Tribe - PYRGINI
Ebrietas
anacreon, Rio Madre de Dios, Peru
Introduction
There are 7 species in the genus
Ebrietas,
which is closely allied to
Camptopleura, Cycloglypha
and Gorgythion.
Members of these genera are characterised by their small size ( circa 3cms
wingspan ), large heads, and by the way in which they bask with their marbled
brown wings folded downwards halfway along the costa.
In common with a great
many other Pyrgine skippers,
Ebrietas anacreon
is a butterfly that looks dull and uninteresting from a distance, but when seen
closely is a creature of great beauty, with wings reflecting subtle shades of
blue or purple when the sunlight catches them at the right angle.
This
butterfly occurs in Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam,
Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
Habitats
This is a lowland rainforest species found commonly at altitudes between sea
level and about 800m.
Lifecycle
Unknown.
Generally however, Pyrgine butterflies lay their eggs singly on the leaves of low
growing herbaceous plants or bushes. The larvae are typically dull green or
brownish, with thin longitudinal lines along the back and sides, and with black
shiny heads. The pupae are usually dark and smooth, with the wing cases in a
contrasting tone or colour. They are normally formed within silken tents formed
by spinning together the leaves of the foodplant.
Adult behaviour
Males are
usually seen singly or in two's or three's when imbibing
moisture from sandbanks, sunlit paths or road
surfaces. At such times they tend to flit about over a small patch
of ground until they find a suitable feeding spot, after which
they wall about probing the ground with the proboscis. If
undisturbed they will remain at their chosen feeding spot for
several minutes.
Both sexes
can also be found flying around bushes and shrubs in forest edge
habitats, with males occupying territorial perches on the terminal
leaves of small bushes.
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