Catasticta teutila (Doubleday, 1847)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.1080/00222931003633227 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F66F7D-AA1F-BC0C-FE57-FCDDFED0FAA8 |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Catasticta teutila (Doubleday, 1847) |
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Catasticta teutila (Doubleday, 1847) View in CoL
This polytypic species ( Figures 18–20 View Figures 14–23 ) is restricted to Central America ( Eitschberger and Racheli 1998), ranging from southern Mexico ( de la Maza 1987) to Panama ( DeVries 1987). Lamas (2004) recognized three subspecies, but indicated that a further two from Mexico awaited formal description. The subspecies C. teutila flavomaculata Lathy and Rosenberg, 1912 on which our observations of the life history were made is endemic to Costa Rica and Panama. It commonly occurs at elevations between 800 m and 3000 m on both slopes, although is more frequently encountered in the wetter, higher elevation cloud forests ( DeVries 1983b, 1987).
The larval food plants of C. teutila include two species of mistletoes in the Viscaceae : Phoradendron velutinum (DC.) Oliv. in Mexico ( Beutelspacher 1980), and Dendrophthora costaricensis in Costa Rica ( DeVries 1983b, 1986, 1987). DeVries (1983b) provided brief notes on the morphology of the immature stages of C. teutila flavomaculata but did not illustrate them. The larva was described as “... ground colour of mottled green, are moderately hairy, and have a black head capsule and posterior segment that give the appearance of two heads” and the pupa as “…. mottled black and green and looks like a bird turd”. He later added that the egg is “yellow”, final-instar larva “head capsule shiny black; ventrum, anal segment, and legs black; ground colour pea green mottled with tiny flecks of brown, with a black dorsal midline; entire body covered with soft green and white hairs” and pupa “mottled black, green, and white; five raised plates on dorsum on abdomen, another large plate on thorax” ( DeVries 1987 p. 93). The following observations on the life history of C. teutila flavomaculata were based on material reared from Costa Rica from several sites in Cordillera Central and Cordillera de Talamanca, mainly at elevations between 2000 m and 3100 m during 1998–2004.
Immature stages
Egg
See Figures 126–128 View Figures 126–144 ; Green when newly laid, with apex translucent white, later changing to yellow-orange; barrel-shaped, with base flattened and much narrower in width than middle; chorion with numerous (approx. 28) longitudinal ribs, and a series of finer transverse lines between longitudinal ribs; apical rim with eight prominent paler nodules.
First-instar larva
See Figures 129, 130 View Figures 126–144 ; 2 View Figures 2–3 mm long after eclosion, 4 mm long prior to moulting, head capsule 0.5 mm wide (n = 10); head black, with a few primary colourless setae; body orange after eclosion, changing to lime-green after consuming food, with numerous long, fine colourless primary setae arising from darker protuberances; paired long dark brown dorsal setae, weakly bifurcated at apex, on metathorax and abdominal segments 1–8; prothorax with a pronounced rectangular-shaped black dorsal plate bearing six setae (in two groups, three on either side of middorsal line), and two lateral setae; mesothorax with five setae (one subdorsal, two dorsolateral, two lateral) forming a transverse row; metathorax with four setae (one subdorsal, two dorsolateral, one lateral) forming a transverse row; abdominal segments 1–9 each with four setae (one subdorsal, two dorsolateral, one lateral); abdominal segment 10 with a black dorsal plate bearing six setae (in two groups, three on either side of middorsal line).
Second-instar larva
See Figure 131 View Figures 126–144 ; 6 View Figures 4–13 mm long, head capsule 0.7 mm wide (n = 10); similar to first instar, but body with a reddish-brown middorsal line and obscure reddish-brown lateral and ventrolateral lines, primary setae white and arising from white panicula, and numerous short brown secondary setae.
Third-instar larva
See Figures 132, 133 View Figures 126–144 ; 9 View Figures 4–13 mm long, head capsule 1.2 mm wide (n = 10); similar to final instar.
Fourth-instar larva
See Figures 134, 135 View Figures 126–144 ; 18 View Figures 14–23 mm long, head capsule 1.8 mm wide (n = 11); similar to final instar.
Fifth-instar larva.
See Figures 136–139 View Figures 126–144 ; 26 View Figures 24–33 mm long, head capsule 2.6 mm wide (n = 10); head black, with numerous white setae; body mottled dull greenish-yellow, with a broad black middorsal line, and an obscure black lateral line, intersegmental areas dull green forming a series of transverse bands, surface densely covered with numerous yellow panicula from which arise long yellow setae (setae white in ventrolateral area); prothorax with a prominent black dorsal plate; abdominal segment 10 with a black dorsal plate.
Pupa
See Figures 140–144 View Figures 126–144 , 228, 229 View Figures 218–235 ; 21 View Figures 14–23 mm long, 6 mm wide (n = 18); black with extensive cream patches on thorax, wing cases and abdominal segments 4–9; head with a prominent anterior projection, and a rounded subdorsal protuberance posteriorly; anterior projection stout, slightly upturned, with apex broadened laterally and Tshaped or sometimes weakly forked; prothorax with a pronounced longitudinal dorsal ridge; mesothorax with a pronounced longitudinal dorsal ridge (with anterior half cream, posterior half black), a double rounded lateral protuberance at base of fore wing, and a broad cream lateral ridge posterior to lateral protuberance; abdominal segments 2–4 each with a rounded dorsolateral protuberance; abdominal segments 3–7 each with a middorsal ridge, more pronounced anteriorly; dorsal ridges black on segments 3, 4 and 7 but cream on segments 5 and 6; cremaster white.
Larval food plants
In Costa Rica, the immature stages were found mainly on Dendrophthora costaricensis ( Figure 38 View Figures 34–44 ) parasitizing several host trees ( Appendix 1), most of which were not identified, growing in montane cloud forest at elevations between 2000 m and 3100 m ( Figure 37 View Figures 34–44 ). In addition, a cohort of pupal exuviae was found associated with Phoradendron tonduzii parasitizing Croton , on which a breeding colony of Pereute cheops was established, at a site near Copey (1850 m a.s.l.). At several sites, colonies of C. teutila were found in sympatry with C. cerberus , which also utilizes D. costaricensis as a larval food plant; however, the two species were never found breeding together on the same mistletoe clump. DeVries (1986) noted an apparent preference by ovipositing females to select mistletoes on large, remnant host trees growing in more open areas, such as emergent canopy trees or those in pastures.
Biology
Eggs were laid in large compact clusters on the upper- or underside of young terminal leaves of the larval food plant, with clutch sizes ranging from 44 to 92 eggs per cohort (n = 3). DeVries (1983b, 1987) indicated a wider range, with egg clutches varying from 10 to 100. The eggs were deposited in tighter clusters than in C. cerberus , with minimal spacing between adjacent eggs. After hatching the first-instar larvae consumed the chorion. The larvae fed gregariously and moulted synchronously; when not feeding they also rested together on a leaf of the food plant. They spun considerable quantities of silk over the foliage or substrate before moving and also before moulting. When molested, larvae reared their heads up and exuded drops of green fluid from the mouth (see also DeVries 1983b). The larvae pupated singly and, prior to pupation, covered the substrate, usually a leaf, with considerable amounts of silk forming a silken pad to which the pupa was subsequently attached by the cremaster and a central girdle. The pupa, which resembled a bird dropping, was generally fastened to the upperside of a leaf and oriented more or less horizontally. When disturbed, the abdominal segments of the pupa twitched with sudden jerky movements. In the field, pupae or pupal exuviae were generally found on substrates other than the larval food plant, including leaves of the host tree and a sedge growing in the ground layer ( Appendix 1). On one occasion at Copey, a cohort of pupal exuviae and dead pupae was found high up on the underside of a large branch of the host tree, which supported a clump of the mistletoe food plant growing 2–3 m distant. These observations indicate that the larvae generally disperse from the food plant to pupate elsewhere and agree with those of DeVries (1983b), who noted that the larvae also pupate on the bark of trees and lichens. Prior to emergence, the orange median band of the fore wing of females was visible as a reddish patch on the pupal wing case. In captivity, adults of a given cohort emerged together, over a period of 24–36 h, with females always emerging before males, but not necessarily in the morning. After emergence, both sexes took about 24 h to dry their wings before they were ready for flight.
Adults ( Figures 18–20 View Figures 14–23 ) were observed flying in slightly open areas and along forest edges, but only during sunny periods in the morning and early afternoon. They had a conspicuous slow sailing or gliding flight in which the wings were opened at an angle of about 90º, interspersed by pulses of a fluttery flight comprising a rapid beating of the wings. We did not observe courtship behaviour, but DeVries (1983b, 1987) remarked that the males perch in the tops of trees and shrubs along forest edges where they establish mating territories during the morning, and that oviposition occurs mainly from mid-morning to early afternoon. Males, especially those freshly emerged, were often observed drinking from moist sand along edges of creeks in prominent sunlit areas in the forest ( Figure 18 View Figures 14–23 ); while drinking, water droplets were expelled from the anus at a constant rate. Unlike C. theresa , they did not rest with their body and wings in the shallow water or on the wet rocks, but kept to “drier” ground when puddling. Both sexes were frequently recorded visiting flowers, including Ericaceae , Ageratina ixiocladon (Benth.) R.M. King and H ( Figure 19 View Figures 14–23 ), Senecio and Stevia lucida Lagasca (all Asteraceae ), Gaiadendron punctatum (Loranthaceae) and Fuchsia paniculata (Onagraceae) . In addition, adults have also been observed visiting the flowers of Eupatorium (Asteraceae) , Melastomaceae, Smilacina (Liliaceae) , Symphonia (Clusiaceae) and Inga (Fabaceae) ( DeVries 1983b).
Adults were most commonly observed during the dry season, particularly between February and April. When reared in captivity at constant temperature (16–18°C), the life cycle from egg to adult was completed in a little more than 2 months (egg,>11 d; larva, 33 d; prepupa, 3 d; pupa, 18–19 d). Presumably several generations are completed annually, particularly at the lower elevations of the range.
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