Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Alala Sister
Adelpha alala
HEWITSON, 1847
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
LIMENITIDINAE
Tribe - LIMENITIDINI
Adelpha alala negra, male, Mariposa,
Satipo, Peru
Introduction
Adelpha
butterflies are colloquially known as "Sisters". In terms of
appearance they are reminiscent of the White Admirals (
Limenitis
) of Eurasia, and share with them a fondness for flitting gracefully around the
lower branches of trees in the dappled sunlight of the forest.
There are 85 known species of
Adelpha,
all but one of which are confined to Central and South America. The butterflies
are characterised by having a distinctive blackish marbled pattern overlaid on a
brown ground colour; and by the presence of a broad orange or white band on the
forewings. The hindwings of most species have a white median band.
While it is easy to recognise the genus, determining the individual
species
can sometimes be very difficult - a problem exacerbated by misidentified or
mislabelled specimens in certain entomological books. The only reliable
identification resource
is "The genus Adelpha" by Keith Willmott.
Accurate identification requires
careful examination of the configuration of orange markings in the subapical area
on the forewing. In most cases it is also essential to examine the patterning on
the undersides, by which means otherwise similar species can be
distinguished.
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 500-2600m on the eastern slopes of the Andes.
Lifecycle
I have no data specific to
alala. The following generalisations apply to the
genus Adelpha:
The
eggs of most
species are white or pale green, and laid singly on leaves of the foodplants.
These include
Rubiaceae, Piperaceae, Moraceae, Urticaceae, Verbenaceae, Melastomaceae,
Ulmaceae, Tiliaceae, Bombacaceae or Ericaceae according to species.
The
young larvae nibble away at the tips of leaves, leaving the midrib projecting.
They construct a chain of frass along the midrib and rest at the end of it. The
frass chains appear to act as a deterrent to ants, spiders and parasitoids which
find it difficult to walk on them. When fully grown the larvae are cryptically coloured
and resemble bird droppings, mossy twigs or bits of curled up dead leaf. They
have two rows of conspicuous spines along
their backs, those on the first two segments being 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.
Adelpha alala negra, male, Manu
cloudforest, 1500m, Madre de Dios, Peru
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