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Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Bolivian Sapphire
Lasaia moeros
STAUDINGER, 1885
Family - RIODINIDAE
subfamily -
RIODININAE
Tribe - RIODININI
Lasaia
moeros,
male, Satipo, Peru
Introduction
The genus
Lasaia contains 14 species,
all of which are found exclusively in the neotropics. They are small butterflies, averaging
about 30mm in wingspan. Males have extremely reflective
wing scales, with a ground colour of blue, green or grey according to species.
Females are rarely seen. They are generally a dull
brown colour. In both sexes the ground colour is overlaid with a linear pattern
of black markings.
Lasaia moeros is confined to Peru and Bolivia, and
should not be confused with the similarly named meris
which is a far more widespread species found from Mexico to Brazil.
Habitats
This species is found in rainforest and cloudforest habitats at altitudes between about
400-1200m on the eastern slopes of the Andes.
Lifecycle
The eggs are flattened, and resemble a pair of stacked pies. I have no other
information regarding the lifecycle. The foodplant of the related
Lasaia sula is Albizia
( Fabaceae ) so it is likely that other Lasaia
species feed on related plants.
Adult behaviour
There appear to be no known specimens of the female of this
species.
Males
are rare, but sometimes encountered when imbibing mineral-rich moisture from
pebbly riverbanks or forest tracks.
They are
only
active in sunny weather, but tend to be found in places where
dappled sunlight filters through to the ground, rather than on
exposed river beaches.
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