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Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007, and must not be published in part or in whole elsewhere without prior written permission from the author.
Butterflies of the Amazon rainforest
 
Lycimnia White Flag
Melete lycimnia CRAMER, 1777
Family - PIERIDAE
subfamily - PIERINAE
Tribe - PIERINI
 
 introduction | habitats | lifecycle | adult behaviour
 
Melete lycimnia peruviana, male, Rio Madre de Dios, Peru
 
Introduction
 
The Pieridae is divided into 3 subfamilies. The Dismorphiinae, with a very small number of exceptions, is entirely neotropical in distribution. The Coliadinae ( Sulphurs and Yellows ) and Pierinae ( Whites and Orange tips ) however have worldwide distribution.
 
There are 217 members of the Pierinae in the neotropical region. These include familiar Holarctic ( Eurasian and North American ) genera such as Pieris, Pontia and Anthocharis, and others such as Pereute, Catasticta and Melete which are found only in Central and South America.
 
The genus Melete contains 6 species, characterised by having a black bar at the end of the forewing discal cell, a black fw apex, and in most species a dark border to the hind-wings. Apart from these markings the wings are usually a unicolorous yellow or white.
 
Melete lycimnia occurs in several geographical forms - the subspecies peruviana has a pure white ground colour, narrow black borders, and a yellow spot at the base of the underside wings. At the other extreme the nominate subspecies lycimnia has the underside hindwings lemon yellow, with very wide brown borders. In all subspecies the females are more yellowish in colouration than the males.
 
This species occurs from Texas to Bolivia.
 
Habitats
 
This is a lowland rainforest species, occurring at elevations between sea level and about 800m.
 
Lifecycle
 
Unknown, although the foodplant is reputed to be Loranthaceae.
 
Adult behaviour

 

Males are a regular sight along forest edge habitats on the banks of rivers, and at roadsides, where they gather to imbibe mineral-laden moisture from sand or mud. They commonly assemble in dense clusters of 50 or more butterflies, which pack themselves very tightly together when feeding, but erupt nervously into flight if disturbed.

 

Females are not in my experience seen in such open situations, staying instead in the forest interior. They do not visit flowers in the understorey, or along forest roads, so presumably feed at the nectar of arboreal flowers. Their flight is direct and fairly rapid, interrupted by long periods at rest on foliage in the sub canopy.

 

 

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