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Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007, and must not be published in part or in whole elsewhere without prior written permission from the author.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
 
Quintina Glasswing
Oleria quintina FELDER & FELDER, 1865
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily - ITHOMIINAE
Tribe - OLERIINI
 
 introduction | habitats | lifecycle | adult behaviour
 
Oleria quintina, Madre de Dios, Peru
 
Introduction
 
The genus Oleria comprises of about 50 known species, characterised by the distinctive venation of the hindwings.
 
The butterflies are varied in their habitat requirements - most species occur in lowland rainforests, many others specialise in cloudforest habitats, and a few occur in deciduous forests.
 
The various species have transparent or translucent wings, marked on the upperside with a suffused white subapical bar, blackish borders and a black diagonal bar. The dark markings are repeated on the underside in orange, edged with black. In some species the markings can be narrow and clearly defined, but in others they are suffused and much more extensive.
 
Oleria quintina can be easily confused with other members of the genus, particularly with didymaea and victorine. The insect illustrated above was kindly identified by Ithomiine expert Keith Willmott as quintina. It occurs from Venezuela to Peru.
 
Habitats
 
This species is associated primarily with wet tropical rainforest habitats, and is most commonly found in the vicinity of rivers or streams, at altitudes between 200-800m.
 
Lifecycle
 
I have no information relating to this species, but the following generalisations can be regarded as applicable to the genus Oleria :
 
The eggs are white, and laid singly, although several may be dotted about on one plant by any particular female.
 
The caterpillars are typically dull greyish-green, with a wrinkled texture, and have small shiny black heads. They feed on Solanum or Lycianthes ( Solanaceae ).
 
The pupae are usually pale green, virtually unmarked, and have compressed abdominal segments and a dorsal hump.
 
Adult behaviour

 

The adults are normally found in small "leks" of up to a dozen butterflies, but unlike other Ithomiines do not appear to form mixed leks with other species.

 

The males fly very slowly and almost incessantly around the lek area, only pausing to settle for a moment here and there, at which time they slowly fan their wings, probably to aid dissemination of pheromones from the androconial "hairs" on their wings.

 

Males of most Oleria species, probably including quintina, visit Eupatorium, from which they acquire pyrrolizidine alkaloids which they pass to the females during copulation, and which is probably essential for the production of viable eggs.

 

Females visit various flowers for nectar, and also for pollen, which is probably essential in the production of eggs and the maintenance of ovaries, as has been demonstrated by Dunlap-Pianka to be the case with Heliconiines.

 

In common with most other Ithomiines, lateral and altitudinal migrations of Oleria species are triggered by seasonal changes in humidity.

 

 

Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007-2008, and must not be reproduced or published in part or in whole elsewhere in any form without written permission from Adrian Hoskins. Breach of copyright will be pursued by litigation.

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