Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Stinky Leafwing
Historis odius
FABRICIUS, 1775
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
NYMPHALINAE
Tribe - COEINI
Historis
odius, male, Satipo, Peru
Introduction
This
large ( wingspan 11cms ) and magnificent butterfly, marked on the upper surface
with a broad swathe of bright orange on a black ground colour, is one of 12
species in the tribe Coeini, which also includes
Baeotus,
Colobura,
Tigridia,
Pycina
and
Smyrna.
There are only 2 species in the genus
Historis,
the other - acheronta, is a smaller greyish species which has a group of white subapical spots on each forewing,
and short tails on the hindwings.
The
vernacular name Stinky Leafwing, and the species name
odius
are probably references to the odorous rotting fruits to which the butterfly is
attracted.
Historis
odius is a common
and very widely distributed species, found from Texas to Peru, Bolivia and
northern Argentina.
Habitats
This species occurs in a wide variety of forested habitats, from the humid deciduous
woodlands of Nicaragua and Guanacaste, to the rainforests of the Amazon
basin and the premontane cloudforests of the Andes. It occurs at altitudes
between sea level and about 1600m.
Lifecycle
The
egg is pale brown, and laid is singly on the midrib of a leaf of
Cecropia
( Moraceae ), a very common tree in disturbed habitats.
When small the larva constructs a chain of droppings along the midrib. The larva
rests at the end of this frass-chain, which extends beyond the tip of a leaf.
The chain seems to act as a tight-rope over which ants will not walk, and thus
prevents the larva from being molested. It probably also deters parasitoid wasps
and flies, making it difficult to oviposit on the larva.
The
fully grown larva is brown with yellow bands around the segments,
which are adorned with yellowish whorled spines. Another pair of short whorled
spines emerges from the head.
The
chrysalis is pinkish, and adorned with whorled spines in the abdominal segments,
and bears a pair of horns on the head which are recurved and appressed to the
thorax. It wriggles frantically if molested.
Adult behaviour
This species is usually encountered singly. It is a swift and very powerful flyer, which swoops
down from it's perches high in Cecropia
trees to feed at fermenting mangos, plantains and other fruits
lying on the forest floor.
Both sexes visit fruit, and can be easily baited with fermenting
plantain pasted onto tree trunks in open glades, orchards and
forest edge habitats.
Males are also attracted to
damp rocky overhangs, peccary wallows and
rock strewn riverbanks, where they imbibe moisture to extract
dissolved minerals.
When settled the wings are held erect, but are flicked open
periodically if the butterfly is nervous. The sudden display of
the bright orange bands on the upperside probably serves as a warning to
predators - orange colouration in butterflies is often an
indicator of toxic qualities.
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