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Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
False Altinote
Gnathotriche mundina
DRUCE, 1876
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
NYMPHALINAE
Tribe - MELITAEINI
Gnathotriche mundina, Manu
cloudforest, 1700m, Peru
Introduction
The tribe Melitaeini is of worldwide distribution. It includes the
Crescents and Checkerspots, and also many familiar European
species such as the Marsh, Glanville, Spotted and Heath
Fritillaries.
There are 2 known
species in the genus Gnathotriche -
mundina which is distributed from
Colombia to Bolivia, and exclamationis
which has a more northern distribution around from Colombia,
Venezuela and Ecuador.
Gnathotriche mundina produces several subspecies including
mundina, fallax
and steinii which each bear a
remarkable resemblance on both upper and under wing surfaces, and
in behaviour, to Acraeines such as Altinote
momina, A.dicaeus and
Abananote erinome. Several other
unrelated species from other subfamilies mimic these toxic
Acraeines including Castilia northbrundii,
C.perilla,
Eresia actinote ( all Nymphalinae : Melitaeini ),
Lymanopoda acraeida ( Satyrinae :
Pronophilina ), Paraphthonia cteatus
( Riodininae ), and several moths in the subfamily Pericopinae (
Arctiidae ). In fact when working in the neotropics there are so
many examples of mimicry and convergent evolution to be seen that
it is almost impossible to identify many of them in the field.
Habitats
This is a cloudforest species found at altitudes between about 1200-2800m.
Lifecycle
Unknown.
Adult behaviour
The males are commonly found "mud-puddling" in the company of
Actinote species on road surfaces,
along stream-edges and at other sources of mineral rich moisture.
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