Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Ephora Tufted Skipper
Nisoniades ephora
HERRICH-SCHÄFFER, 1870
Family - HESPERIIDAE
subfamily -
PYRGINAE
Tribe - PYRGINI
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Nisoniades ephora,
Satipo, Peru |
Introduction
The
tribe Pyrgini
are found
throughout the world in all habitats. In the neotropical region there no less
than 83 genera, and about 540 described species. Unfortunately there are no
illustrated reference works which cover the entire fauna, so identifying many of
them is often very difficult.
The suffused but distinct markings,
and the 3 whitish spots near the acute apex clearly identify the illustrated butterfly
as a member of the genus Nisoniades. There are 33
species in the genus, most of which are very similar in appearance.
Note: there is another genus with an almost identical name -
Niconiades ( Hesperiinae ).
Nisoniades ephora
is distributed from Mexico to
Peru.
Habitats
This species is found in tropical and subtropical evergreen rainforest at
altitudes between about 200-1000m.
Lifecycle
I have no information regarding Nisoniades,
but
Pyrgine butterflies typically lay their eggs singly on either
the upperside or underside of leaves. The larvae are usually
dull green or brownish, with thin longitudinal lines along the
back and sides, and with black shiny heads. Most feed on low
growing herbaceous plants, but a small percentage feed on the
leaves of bushes or trees. The pupae are usually dark and
smooth, with the wing cases in a contrasting tone or colour.
They are normally formed within silken tents formed by spinning
together the leaves of the foodplant.
Adult behaviour
This, and other Nisoniades
species, are generally encountered as solitary males, seen imbibing
mineralised moisture from river beaches - often in the company
of
Ebrietas anacreon, Gorgopas trochilus,
Antigonus nearchus and other
Pyrgine skippers.
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