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Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Parallel-banded
Euselasia
Euselasia orfita
CRAMER, 1777
Family - RIODINIDAE
subfamily -
EUSELASIINAE
Tribe - EUSELASIINI
Euselasia orfita, Rio Madre de Dios, Peru
Introduction
The
sub-family Euselasiinae is confined entirely to the neotropics. There
are 172 known species of which 167 are placed in the genus
Euselasia. A few are widespread
across Amazonia but most are localised and uncommon. The adults are
characterised by having large eyes and small palpi. Most species have rounded
wings. The uppersides of males are blackish with patches of metallic orange or
blue according to species. Females are dull brown above, with patches of whitish
or pale brown. In most species the undersides of both sexes are pale, with one
or more vertical bands or lines. In several species including
orfita there is also a dark ocellus near the border
of the hindwing.
Euselasia orfita
has a wingspan of about 40mm.
The banded underside bears strong similarities to Satyrines in the
tribe Euptychiina, but it is unlikely that this is a case of mimicry, because
the two groups of butterflies differ in behaviour -
Euptychia
species tend to have a slow fluttery flight, and settle to rest or
bask on low foliage.
Euselasia
on the other hand have a very rapid hairstreak-like flight and
always settle on the underside of leaves. Mimicry would in any
case offer no benefit to either
Euptychia or Euselasia as
neither are believed to be toxic or unpalatable to birds.
There are several other
Euselasia
species with a similar banded underside, including clithra in which the outer white band on the hindwing is wider and
wedge-shaped, and
phedica
which has the f/w submarginal band incurved as it approaches the costa.
Euselasia
orfita is found
in Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and
Bolivia.
Habitats
This
species inhabits lowland primary rainforests at elevations
between sea level and about 900m.
Lifecycle
I have no
information specific to orfita but the lifecycle is
probably similar to that of other Euselasia species
: The eggs are frustum-shaped. They are laid singly under the leaves of
Melastomataceae, Sapotaceae, Myrtaceae or Clusiaceae. The
caterpillars are compact in form and covered in
tufts of short setae. In several species they are gregarious and move
in a processionary manner. Unlike members of the Riodininae the larvae of
Euselasiinae are not associated with ants.
Adult behaviour
Euselasia
males are noted for their habit of spending most of their lives hiding under
leaves.
Some species such
as gelanor
and angulata
tend to sit under the leaves of low vegetation, while others such as euriteus
and orfita
tend to settle higher up, under the leaves of trees at heights of between 2-5 metres. Often males of
several Euselasia species will occupy a particular
tree but each species will settle at a different height and fly at a different
time of the morning.
Although they may
appear to be hiding, they are in fact "perching" i.e. waiting to ambush any
other Euselasia that flies past. If the ambushed
butterfly turns out to be another male a short aerial battle takes place after
which the intruding male is usually ousted, and the conquering male returns to
sit beneath the leaf
where he originally perched. Perching males
hold their wings erect, but often with the hindwings very slightly apart,
enabling a glimpse of the metallic upperside.
The flight is
rapid and erratic. Males are active early in the day, but females fly and
oviposit in the afternoon. Both sexes visit flowers and extrafloral nectaries.
The butterflies fly throughout the year but are commonest in the late dry season
and during drier periods in the rainy season.
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