Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Sylphina Angel
Chorinea sylphina
BATES, 1868
Family -
RIODINIDAE
subfamily -
RIODININAE
Tribe - RIODININI
Chorinea sylphina, Machu Picchu,
Peru
Introduction
When seen
in flight the transparent wings of this exquisite butterfly
reflect a myriad of shimmering iridescent green,
blue and pink hues that hold the observer spellbound. As it flutters rapidly around bushes and shrubs it
could easily be mistaken for a damselfly, and it is not until it settles under a
leaf and stops fluttering that it reveals its true identity.
The butterflies are rarely encountered. They fly in full sunshine
but periodically rest beneath leaves. The
insect shown above settled under a leaf at the edge of the Sun
Gate trail at Machu Picchu. In places like this, where there is a sheer drop of
a thousand metres next to the trail, and just a few flimsy bushes
to break your fall if you slip, photography can be a little risky! Luckily this particular
insect landed in a position where there was a ledge immediately
below, and photography was safe.
The genus Chorinea comprises of 8 species, all
following the same basic wing pattern as sylphina,
but varying in the configuration and extent of the red markings on their hindwings.
Chorinea sylphina is found in Ecuador, Peru and
Bolivia.
Habitats
This is a cloudforest species found at altitudes between about 2000-3000m.
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Chorinea sylphina habitat -
cloudforest, altitude 2700m, Machu Picchu, Peru |
Lifecycle
The larval foodplants of Chorinea species include Hippocrataceae,
Aquifoliaceaea, Flacourtiaceae and Celastraceae.
Adult behaviour
The butterflies are almost always seen singly. They fly in full
sunshine, but occasionally settle beneath the leaves of bushes.
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