Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Angusta Crescent
Castilia angusta
HEWITSON, 1868
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
NYMPHALINAE
Tribe - MELITAEINI
subtribe -
PHYCIODINA
Castilia angusta,
Rio Shima, Satipo, Peru
Introduction
The tribe Melitaeini is of worldwide distribution. It includes the
Crescents and Checkerspots of North America, and many familiar European
species such as the Marsh, Spotted and Heath
Fritillaries.
Castilia are very closely related to
Eresia, Anthanassa and
Janatella, so closely in fact that
these genera can only be distinguished by microscopic examination
of the male genitalia.
The
13 Castilia species fall into 2 distinct
groups. The first group includes castilla,
northbrundii,
neria and
perilla. All of these have black wings marked with patches
of orange and are convincing mimics of Altinote
species. The second group
includes ofella,
myia and
angusta. These all have whitish spots on the forewings and a broad creamy median band
on the hindwings. These markings are repeated on the
underside which is yellowish and has a series of
crescents around the margins.
Castilia angusta is a very common and widespread species, found from
Colombia to Argentina.
Habitats
This species is found in forest edge habitats including roadsides,
riverbanks and areas of secondary growth, at altitudes between
about 100-1600m.
Castilia angusta,
Rio Shima, Satipo, Peru
Lifecycle
The eggs of Castilia species are
laid in batches of between 30-80 on the underside of
leaves of the foodplants. They are laid in layers, a
defence strategy that ensures that the bottom layer cannot be
parasitised by Trichogrammatid wasps. The topmost eggs hatch first.
The larvae then immediately eat their egg-shells, allowing those from the lower layers to
hatch.
Castilia larvae feed gregariously on Acanthaceae, spinning
a thin silk web over the leaves. In the early instars they eat
only the leaf tissue, and skeletonise the leaves so that only the
midrib, veins and cuticle remain. They are described by DeVries as
being covered with dense bristles and with each segment bearing
fleshy protuberances.
Adult behaviour
Males are sometimes seen singly but are more typically encountered
in groups of 10-100,
imbibing mineralised moisture from road surfaces, river beaches,
dry riverbeds, peccary wallows and sunlit trails. They usually
hold their wings fully outspread when feeding or at rest.
Castilia angusta,
Rio Shima, Satipo, Peru
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