Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
The Waiter
Marpesia zerynthia
HÜBNER, 1823
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
CYRESTINAE
Tribe - CYRESTINI
Marpesia
zerynthia, San Pedro, Manu cloudforest, 1500m, Peru
Introduction
The
genus Marpesia is confined largely to the neotropical region, but is closely allied to the
Mapwing and Maplet butterflies ( Cyrestis &
Chersonesia ) of the Oriental region.
Daggerwings
are similar in wing shape to Swordtails and Swallowtails ( Papilionidae ), but
the latter have 6 legs whereas Marpesia and all
other Nymphalidae genera have only 4 legs. Another feature to look for is the
antennae. In all Papilionids these are recurved at the tip, but in
Marpesia they are straight. In total there
are 17
Marpesia
species, all with the same wing shape as
zerynthia,
except for
petreus
which has 2 tails on each hindwing and a deeply scalloped outer margin to it's
forewing.
Marpesia
zerynthia ( previously
known as coresia
) cannot be confused with any other species. It is found from Texas to Bolivia.
Marpesia
zerynthia, Satipo, Peru
Habitats
This species occurs at all elevations from 0-2400m and
occurs in
deciduous and evergreen forest. It
is primarily a cloudforest insect which is most abundant between about
800-1800m.
Lifecycle
I have no data relating to
zerynthia,
but the following characteristics are applicable in general to the genus
Marpesia
:
The
eggs are white or yellowish, and laid singly on the foliage of trees and shrubs
in the family Moraceae - including
Ficus, Chlorophora, Brosimum
and Artocarpus.
The
fully grown caterpillars are very colourful, typically marked with red and / or
yellow spots and stripes. There is a single row of unbranched, recurved spines
along the back, and the head is adorned with a pair of very long wavy spines.
They feed diurnally and rest on the upper surface of leaves. The
pupae are typically pale in colour, marked with blackish spots or blotches, and have wiry filaments projecting from the back of the abdomen and from the head.
Marpesia
zerynthia, San Pedro, Manu cloudforest, 1500m, Peru
Adult behaviour
This species is usually encountered
as small groups of about 6-12 males, visiting wet sand or mud to imbibe
mineral-laden moisture. They particularly favour feeding at
shallow fords on unmetalled mountain roads. In hot weather they jostle
constantly for position and feed with their wings erect or partly
open. In cooler conditions they feed with wings
outspread, displaying the subtle deep maroon hues of the
upperside.
Females are
elusive, spending most of their lives in the forest canopy, but in
overcast weather will sometimes descend to settle on foliage along
forest trails.
Marpesia
zerynthia, San Pedro, Manu cloudforest, 1500m, Peru
|
