Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Clearwing-mimic Queen
Lycorea ilione CRAMER,
1775
Family -
NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily - DANAINAE
Tribe - EUPLOEINI
Lycorea ilione phenarete,
Rio Shima, Satipo, Peru
Introduction
The subfamily Danainae has members on all continents, including
the Monarch Danaus plexippus, the
Euploea Crows of south-east
Asia and the Tirumala Blue Tigers of Africa.
In the neotropics they are represented by 376 species in the tribe
Ithomiini, 5 in the Danaini, and 8 in the Euploeini. The latter
tribe includes 3 neotropical genera - Anetia,
Archaeolycorea and Lycorea.
There are 3 Lycorea species, namely
halia, ilione
and pasinuntia. All are largish,
strongly marked butterflies with rounded
wings and cream-tipped antennae.
In common with other Danaines, the bodies of Lycorea
larvae and adults contain toxins that cause vomiting and nausea in any bird that attempts to eat
them. Studies have shown that birds are able to remember the
strong patterns of these unpalateable
butterflies, and to associate them with pain or discomfort.
The result is that any bird which has
tasted a Lycorea species quickly
learns to avoid eating any
other species with a similar pattern including toxic Ithomiines in the genera
Thyridia and
Methona, and the palatable Dismorphiine
Patia orise.
Lycorea
ilione, ( previously known as Ituna
phenarete ) is a widespread species, found
from Mexico to Bolivia. The illustrated subspecies
Lycorea ilione phenarete is
restricted to Peru.
Lycorea ilione
phenarete,
Rio Shima, Satipo, Peru
Habitats
This
species occurs in mid-elevation transitional rainforest /
cloudforest at altitudes between about 500-1500m. Subspecies
phenarete is confined to the
foothills of the eastern Andes in Peru.
Lifecycle
The eggs are white. They are
laid singly on the underside of Ficus leaves (
Moraceae ). The young larvae nibble rings into the leaf tissue to cut off the
plants defensive toxins before eating the area enclosed within the ring. Older
larvae bite through the veins causing the toxins to bleed out before eating. The
fully grown larvae are white, with narrow black rings around each segment. They
have a pair of motile black filaments behind the head, which probably serve to
ward off parasitoids. The pupae are pale green and barrel shaped, with
compressed abdominal segments. They are formed hanging from leaves or stems of
the foodplant.
Adult behaviour
Males are encountered mainly in the early morning when they
descend from the canopy to imbibe mineralised moisture from river beaches,
boulders, stony tracks etc. When temperatures
are low they bask with their wings fully outspread, but in hot
weather they are held erect. Males are also attracted to
Senecio,
Eupatorium and Neomiranda
flowers from which they sequester pyrrolizidine alkaloids that are
used for chemical defence, and are passed to females during
copulation.
Lycorea ilione
phenarete,
Rio Shima, Satipo, Peru
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