Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Sunburst Satyr
Pedaliodes hopfferi
STAUDINGER, 1887
Family -
NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
SATYRINAE
Tribe - SATYRINI
subtribe -
PRONOPHILINA
Pedaliodes
hopfferi
Machu Picchu, Peru.
Introduction
There are 1100
known species of Satyrinae in the neotropical region. About 570 of these are
placed in the
subtribe Pronophilina - a diverse group of high altitude
cloudforest butterflies, all of which are confined to the neotropical region. The vast majority
are found only in the Andes, but 4 species are known from
the Atlantic cloudforests of Brazil, and there are a further 6 species that are endemic to Guatemala, Costa
Rica or Mexico. More oddly there is one genus
Calisto
that is found exclusively on the Caribbean islands of Cuba and Hispaniola.
The
genus
Pedaliodes
comprises of over 270 known species, with new species being discovered
at regular intervals as their remote cloudforest habitats become more fully
explored. No less than 114 "new"
Pedaliodes
species were discovered and described between 1999 and 2004 by Viloria, Lamas,
Pyrcz and other workers. The eventual total is expected to exceed 600 species.
Pedaliodes are small to medium
sized butterflies. The vast majority have plain, blackish
uppersides, although several species e.g. peruda, praxithea
and triaria
are banded with orange. The undersides of all species are brown or blackish,
mottled with cream or white, and in some species marbled or banded prominently with cream.
Some of the species are widespread but many are confined to remote Andean
peaks, isolated from their cogeners. Many are so similar that identification
cannot be determined without dissecting and microscopically examining
the genitalia, but
hopfferi
is distinctive and easily recognised from either the dorsal or ventral view.
Pedaliodes hopfferi
occurs in southern Peru, and probably also in Bolivia.
Pedaliodes
hopfferi
Machu Picchu, Peru.
Habitats
Like
all
Pedaliodes
species this is a butterfly of the high Andes, found in stunted cloudforest, and
transitional cloudforest / puna or paramo grassland habitats. It can
occasionally be found as low as 2000m but is most frequently encountered between
about 2400-2800m.
Lifecycle
I have no data specific to hopfferi. It is likely
however that the lifecycle is similar to that of other
Pedaliodes species as follows: The eggs are white
and globular with minute vertical striations. They are laid singly or in pairs
on the undersides of Chusquea leaves. At sites
where the butterflies breed in severely disturbed areas, the larvae of some
species i.e. manis, plotina
and palaepolis have been found on
Festuca and Poa
grasses.
The caterpillars when small are pale green with whitish longitudinal stripes
along the back and sides. The head is brown with two bumps. Final instar
caterpillars are straw coloured, with a series of pale and darker longitudinal
stripes. The pupa is straw coloured, lightly mottled or flecked with brown. It
is suspended from stems or leaves. Several days before eclosion the pupa becomes
dark brown.
Adult behaviour
In common with other
Pedaliodes species this not a
particularly
active insect. It spends much of it's time sitting on rocks with
wings closed, taking advantage of the reflected warmth to raise
it's body temperature. The appearance of sunshine, even for a
brief period, causes the insect to fly a short distance to settle
with wings outspread on low growing foliage.
Mate location and
copulation, neither of which I have observed in this species,
probably take place in afternoon sunshine.
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