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Butterflies of the Amazon and Andes
 
Malachite
Siproeta stelenes  LINNAEUS, 1758
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily - NYMPHALINAE
Tribe - VICTORINIINI
 
 introduction | habitats | lifecycle | adult behaviour
 

Siproeta stelenes, Catarata Bayoz, Le Merced, Peru
 
Introduction
 
The tribe Kallimini includes the Asian Kallima ( Dead Leaf butterflies ), and the African genera Precis
( Pansies ) and Salamis ( Mother of Pearl butterflies ). In the neotropics the tribe is represented by the genera Anartia, Junonia, Hypolimnas, Metamorpha, Napeocles and Siproeta.
The genus Siproeta comprises of 3 species - the Malachite stelenes, the green-banded superba, and the Rusty-tipped Page epaphus. All are large butterflies, with wingspans averaging 10 cms.
The beautiful Malachite is distributed from Florida and Texas, south to Peru, Argentina and Bolivia. The butterflies look particularly beautiful when seen at rest, with sunshine streaming through the translucent green windows on the wings.
Some workers consider stelenes to be a Batesian mimic of the Heliconiine Philaethria dido. The 2 species generally occupy different habitats - dido is a rainforest canopy species, whereas stelenes is found in disturbed open forest. Nevertheless their avian predators probably encounter both species fairly regularly, so the theory may have some basis.
 
Habitats
 
This widespread and common species is found in a many different habitats including lowland and mid-elevation rainforest, and deciduous forests, but is most commonly seen in secondary habitats, including roadsides, riverbanks, orchards and gardens. It occurs at altitudes between sea level and about 1200m.
 
Siproeta stelenes, Satipo, Peru
 
Lifecycle
 
The eggs are dark green, and laid singly on leaves of Ruellia, Justicia or Blechum, all members of the Acanthaceae. Females tend to patrol back and forth along a limited stretch of habitat, dotting their eggs about fairly randomly.
The fully grown caterpillar is dark olive in colour, with a series of whorled spikes along the back and sides. Those on the back are reddish.
The chrysalis is pale green, with the thorax and abdomen covered in minute black dots, and is suspended by the long cremaster from stems of the foodplant.
 
Siproeta stelenes, Catarata Bayoz, Le Merced, Peru
 
Adult behaviour

 

Both sexes nectar at Lantana and other flowers. Males also feed at fallen fruit, carrion and dung. I have seen groups of Malachites feeding on decaying fallen mangos in Costa Rica, and on hot sunny days often see them in one's and two's imbibing mineralised moisture from dirt tracks and stony roads in Peru and the Venezuelan Andes. If disturbed they usually fly up onto the lower branches of trees, where they rest with wings closed, and are superbly camouflaged. They are usually seen in open sunlit areas along roads and riverbanks, but I have on a few occasions found them roosting in late afternoon beneath leaves deep in primary forest.

 

 

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