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Butterflies of the Andes
 
Alala Sister
Adelpha alala HEWITSON, 1847
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily - LIMENITINAE
Tribe - LIMENITIDINI
 
 introduction | habitats | lifecycle | adult behaviour
 
Adelpha alala negra, male, Manu cloudforest, 1500m, Madre de Dios, Peru
 
Introduction
 
Adelpha butterflies, or "Sisters" as they are colloquially known, have much in common with the White Admirals ( Limenitis ) of Eurasia - the dark brown wings banded with white, the orange and white banded undersides, the fondness for flitting around trees within the forest etc - so it is unsurprising to learn that as members of the same tribe Limenitidini, they are very closely related.
 
There are currently 84 known species of Adelpha, a genus confined to Central and South America, with the exception of one species which occurs as far north as California.
 
Adelpha alala can be confused with two other Andean species - aricia, in which the orange band is wider and makes contact with the white band; and corcyra, in which the orange band only extends halfway down the forewing. In corcyra, and in some races of alala, there is an additional orange band in the submarginal area of the hindwings.
 
Adelpha alala is confined to the Andes mountains, and occurs in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and north-west Argentina.
 
Adelpha alala negra, male, Manu cloudforest, 1500m, Madre de Dios, Peru
 
Habitats
 
This is a pre-montane and lower cloudforest species, occurring at altitudes between about 1000-2000m on the eastern slopes of the Andes.
 
Lifecycle
 
Unknown, but the following generalisations are applicable to the genus Adelpha :
 
The larval foodplants of Adelpha species are diverse, although the majority of species feed on Sabicia, Ixora, Pentagonia or Chomelia ( Rubiaceae ), Cecropia ( Moraceae ), Myriocarpa ( Urticaceae ) or Trema ( Ulmaceae ).
 
The eggs of most species are white or pale green, and laid singly on the foliage of the foodplants.
 
The larvae, which are cryptically coloured, have 2 rows of conspicuous spines along the back, with those on the first two segments enlarged and directed forward, while the third pair are directed backward.
 
The pupae, which are suspended by the cremaster, are in some species green or brown, while others are entirely silver, and shiny. The pupae of some species are decorated with numerous spikes and projections, and sometimes have very prominent palpi.
 
Adult behaviour

 

This species is usually encountered as solitary males, flitting and gliding in sunny areas in the vicinity of waterfalls and streams. The butterflies periodically alight to imbibe moisture from damp ground, and feed with wings either outspread or closed, depending on ambient temperature.

 

These mud-puddling males are invariably found to be in immaculate condition, probably unmated - suggesting that the dissolved minerals which they sequester from the mud may play an essential role in the fertilisation of females. The probability is that the minerals are processed by the male, to provide vital nutrients that are passed to the female during copulation. This could be partly because the females need to reduce the time spent feeding themselves, so that they can maximise time spent egg-laying. It is more likely however that the nutrients are vital to fecundity.

 

 
 
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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