Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Sylvia Wood Nymph
Taygetis sylvia
BATES, 1866
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
SATYRINAE
Tribe - SATYRINI
subtribe -
EUPTYCHIINA
introduction
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habitats |
lifecycle |
adult behaviour
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Taygetis
sylvia, Manu Biosphere Reserve, Peru |
Introduction
This
species was first discovered by the famous explorer and naturalist Henry Walter
Bates, who in 1848, together with Alfred Russell Wallace went on an expedition
to the Amazon. There, during the next 10 years, Bates collected and described
8000 species of animals and plants that were new to science. He also discovered
that many distantly related butterflies had very similar patterns and colours,
which led him to propose that some species might be toxic to birds, and that
other edible species were mimicking them via a process of evolution. His theory
is now widely accepted, and known as Batesian Mimicry.
There are 1100 known species of Satyrinae in the neotropical region.
The
genus Taygetis
comprises 28 described species, although several more are likely to be
discovered. They vary in wingspan between about 5 - 11 cms, and are characterised
by having dull brown wings, usually cryptically patterned on the underside so
that they resemble dead leaves. Most species also have a series of prominent
ocelli on the ventral surface.
Taygetis sylvia is
less leaf-like than many of the other species, but the white band across the
wings and jagged outline both very effectively break up the shape of the
butterfly, which is superbly camouflaged when at rest amongst dead leaves on the
forest floor.
Taygetis
sylvia is found
throughout the Amazonian faunal region from Panama to Peru and Bolivia.
Habitats
This species breeds in lowland wet tropical rainforests at altitudes between
about 100-800m.
Lifecycle
Little is known of the early stages of
Taygetis
species. The larvae are typically Satyrine in appearance, with smooth bodies
marked with thin longitudinal lines, a pair of caudal prongs, and a forked head
capsule. They feed solitarily on grasses, bamboos, and possibly also on sedges,
palms and other monocotyledons.
Adult behaviour
Like all other
Taygetis species, this butterfly
is a denizen of the dark undergrowth, and flies mainly in the
early mornings, between about 0800-0900hrs. It flies only very
short distances, perhaps no more than 2 metres at a time, and
never more than a metre above ground level.
Butterflies of
both sexes visit rotting fruits, fungi and bird-droppings on the
forest floor, where they remain stationary for long periods.
Taygetis species are often found
in an exceedingly worn condition, which probably indicates that
they live for at least several weeks.
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