Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Hopffer's Andean
White
Hesperocharis
nereina
HOPFFER, 1874
Family -
PIERIDAE
subfamily -
PIERINAE
Tribe -
ANTHOCHARIDINI
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Hesperocharis nereina, male, Satipo, Peru. |
Introduction
The
tribe Anthocharidini, which includes the Orange-tip, Bath White and Dappled
White butterflies of the Palaearctic region, is represented in the neotropics by the genera
Eroessa,
Mathania,
Cunizza and
Hesperocharis.
The
genus Hesperocharis
includes 12 known species, although it is likely that others still remain
to be discovered.
The
uppersides of all species are creamy-white or yellow, usually with the forewing
apex black or brownish. On the undersides, all members of the genus have dark
veins and chevrons similar to those in the illustrated insect, although they
vary in prominence from species to species. The short, white-tipped antennae are also
characteristic of the genus.
Hesperocharis nereina
occurs only in Peru and Bolivia.
Most of the other Hesperocharis species are also Andean, but a few occur in the Cordilleras of Costa Rica, the Sierras of Mexico,
and the Atlantic cloudforests of Brazil.
Habitats
This species inhabits
transitional rainforest / cloudforest habitats at altitudes between about 500-1800m.
Lifecycle
I have no data relating
to nereina but the following description of the Costa Rican species H. crocea
may be relevant : The eggs are laid in
batches on the leaves of Loranthaceae. The larvae, which feed gregariously, are
a dull reddish colour, covered with fine white setae. The chrysalis is mottled
in green, white and brown, and is said to resemble a bird dropping.
Adult behaviour
Males of
nereina are
usually encountered as singletons, imbibing mineralised moisture
from the edges of puddles.
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