|
Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Beautiful Mylon
Mylon zephus
BUTLER, 1870
Family -
HESPERIIDAE
subfamily -
PYRGINAE
Tribe - PYRGINI
Mylon
zephus,
Manu cloudforest, 1700m, Peru
Introduction
The
Pyrginae, known colloquially as Flats or Spreadwings, are found in temperate and
tropical habitats throughout the world. In the neotropical
region there are 990 described species, but it is likely that at least another
50 remain to be discovered. Identifying them is often difficult due to the
lack of illustrated books dealing with the Hesperiidae.
The
genus Mylon
contains 15 known species, all with the same characteristic wing shape and pale
greyish-white ground colour. Some species like
pelopidas are faintly marked, while others are
quite heavily marbled with dark brown.
Mylon
zephus is a very
distinctive and easily recognised species, and the most beautiful of the genus.
It is found from Venezuela to Bolivia.
Habitats
This species occurs in rainforest and cloudforest habitats at elevations between
about 400-2000m on the eastern slopes of the Andes.
Lifecycle
The lifecycle appears to be unrecorded. Generally, Pyrgine butterflies lay their
eggs singly on either the upperside or underside of leaves. The larvae are
typically dull green or brownish, with thin longitudinal lines along the back
and sides, and with black shiny heads. They feed typically on herbaceous plants, but a small percentage feed on the leaves of
bushes or trees. The pupae are usually dark and smooth, with the wing cases in a
contrasting tone or colour. They are normally formed within silken tents formed
by spinning together the leaves of the foodplant.
Adult behaviour
In cloudy conditions the
butterflies fly in open areas along roadsides, nectaring at
flowers of various species. In hot and sunny conditions the males
settle on the ground to imbibe moisture from the edges of puddles
and ditches.
Mylon
zephus,
Catarata Bayoz, Le Merced, Peru
|
