Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Pusilla
Skipper
Sostrata pusilla
GODMAN & SALVIN,
1895
Family -
HESPERIIDAE
subfamily -
PYRGINAE
Tribe - PYRGINI
Sostrata pusilla,
Satipo, Peru
Introduction
The
Hesperiidae are divided into 5
subfamilies - Grass Skippers ( Hesperiinae ), Spotted Skippers
( Heteropterinae ), neotropical Swifts (
Pyrrhopyginae ), Giant Skippers (
Megathyminae ), and the Flats or Spreadwing Skippers ( Pyrginae ).
In the neotropical region there are
about 990 known species of Pyrginae - a subfamily of Skippers
characterised by their habit of basking with wings outspread, as opposed to the
half-open position favoured by the Hesperiidae. About 580 species are placed
within the tribe Pyrgini, which
includes such well known genera as Urbanus, Astraptes, Bolla, Pyrgus, Erynnis,
and Mylon.
The
genus
Sostrata
is closely allied to
Pythonides,
Eracon
and
Quadrus. These genera comprise a total of about 45 small species, characterised
by having a series of tiny transparent marks on their forewings, and a peppering
of metallic blue scales overlaid on a dingy brown ground colour.
Sostrata pusilla is
distributed from Nicaragua to Bolivia. There are 2 subspecies -
pusilla rangers from Nicaragua to northern Ecuador,
while pulsa occurs in southern Ecuador, Peru and
Bolivia.
Sostrata pusilla,
Satipo, Peru
Habitats
This species occurs in rainforest and cloudforest habitats at altitudes between about
200-1000m.
Lifecycle
The lifecycle appears to be unrecorded. Generally, Pyrgine
butterflies lay their eggs singly on either the upperside or underside of
leaves. The caterpillars are typically dull green or brownish, with thin longitudinal
lines along the back and sides, and with black shiny heads. They feed typically
on low growing herbaceous plants, but some 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
The butterfly is usually
encountered as solitary males. They are
active mainly in the early afternoon when they can be seen basking on foliage
or logs.
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