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protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins
2007, and must not be published
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Butterflies of
the Amazon rainforest
Starry Night
Metalmark
Echydna punctata
FELDER & FELDER, 1861
Family - RIODINIDAE
subfamily -
RIODININAE
Tribe - RIODININI
introduction
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habitats |
lifecycle |
adult behaviour
Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian
Hoskins 2007-2008, and must not be reproduced or published in part
or in whole elsewhere in any form without written permission from
Adrian Hoskins. Breach of copyright will be pursued by litigation.
Website designed, produced and owned by
Adrian Hoskins
Echydna punctata,
male ( female is similar, but ground colour very dark earthy brown
), Peru
Introduction
The
genus
Echydna
includes only 2 species, but is very closely allied to the similarly marked
Calydna,
which includes a further 18 species. The butterflies are all very small, with
black or dark brown wings, marked in
Echydna
with a regular pattern of small white spots. In
Calydna
the white spots tend to be larger and irregular, and the butterflies also often
have metallic blue markings.
Echydna
punctata occurs from
Colombia to Peru, southern Brazil and Bolivia.
Habitats
The butterflies are found in wet tropical lowland rainforests, where they tend
to be seen in small groups at intervals along damp and dark forest paths.
Lifecycle
To be completed.
Adult behaviour
The aptly named Starry Night Riodinid is usually seen in two's and three's along dark forest paths, where it habitually settles with wings open, on ferns and other low vegetation. It is also commonly seen on damp or wet soil, imbibing dissolved minerals. It seems to prefer places where there are stagnant puddles or small temporary ponds or lagoons, rather than streams or riverbeds.
It is almost inevitable that when one Echydna is seen, others will be found very close by.
The butterfly is more commonly seen on cloudy days. On sunny days it tends to fly early in the morning when light levels are low. Nevertheless I have occasionally seen it mud-puddling on open sandbanks on misty mornings, and in shaded areas at peccary wallows and salt-licks in the heat of the day.
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