|
Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Brazilian Painted Lady
Vanessa
braziliensis
MOORE, 1883
Family -
NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
NYMPHALINAE
Tribe - NYMPHALINI
Vanessa braziliensis, Shismay, Peru
Introduction
The
genus
Vanessa comprises of about 20 species, and includes the most widespread
butterfly in the world- the Painted Lady Vanessa cardui
which occurs on every continent except South America. There are 5 species found
in the neotropical region -
myrinna and braziliensis
from Brazil,
carye from Argentina,
terpsichore
from Chile, and
altissima
from Peru and Bolivia.
All Painted Lady species
have a similar pattern of pinkish-orange, black
and white on the upperside, and have cryptic undersides marbled in olive and
grey, with a row of post-median ocelli of varying sizes on the hindwings.
Vanessa braziliensis is arguably the most beautiful of the Painted
Ladies, being a particularly vivid shade of pink. The butterfly is found in Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia,
Venezuela, Paraguay, Uruguay and northern Argentina.
Vanessa
braziliensis, Manu cloudforest, 2000m, Peru
Habitats
This species occurs in a wide variety of disturbed habitats, including open
grassland and pastures, arid rocky areas, and cloudforest / grassland transition
zones. It
is normally found at altitudes between about 1800-3500 metres.
Lifecycle
I do not have any
information
regarding the lifecycle of
braziliensis. The eggs of the closely
related
virginiensis
are whitish. They are laid singly on a wide range of plants including Antennaria, Senecio
and Artemesia
( Asteraceae ),
Antirrhinum ( Scrophulariacae ) and
Malva ( Malvaceae ).
The
larvae are dark, usually mottled with blackish and
bear short whorled spikes on the back and sides. They live solitarily within a
silken web spun around the upper leaves and stem of the foodplant, leaving a
mass of frass adhering to the silk.
The
pupae of Vanessa
species are greyish, and slightly lustrous. They are suspended by
the cremaster within the silk nests spun by the larvae.
Vanessa braziliensis, Shismay, Peru
Adult behaviour
Both sexes tend to be seen in
groups of up to a dozen, hill-topping in sheltered grassy glades,
or basking on rocks or bare soil in the vicinity of nectar sources. They are always alert to the presence
of intruding humans. If disturbed they usually resettle a few
metres away, but often return to
their original basking place once any danger has passed. Normally
they bask with wings fully outspread, but when clouds temporarily
obscure the sun and lower the temperature they will sit on rocks
or among grasses with the wings closed.
In
late afternoon
the butterflies seek roosting sites, and typically spend the night
hanging from the leaves or stems of tallish herbaceous plants.
Vanessa braziliensis, Tres Cruces,
Manu 3200m, Peru
|
