Catasticta ctemene (Hewitson, 1869)

Braby, Michael F. & Nishida, Kenji, 2010, The immature stages, larval food plants and biology of Neotropical mistletoe butterflies (Lepidoptera: Pieridae). II. The Catasticta group (Pierini: Aporiina), Journal of Natural History 44 (29 - 30), pp. 1831-1928 : 1887-1891

Catasticta ctemene (Hewitson, 1869)

This species ( Figure 217 ) occurs from Costa Rica to Peru and Bolivia, and at least seven subspecies are currently recognized (Lamas 2004). The subspecies C. ctemene actinotis Butler, 1872 on which our observations of the life history were made is endemic to Costa Rica and Panama ( D’Abrera 1981; DeVries 1987). It is known to occur locally in montane forest in Cordillera de Talamanca and Cordillera Central, from 1400 m to 2300 m ( DeVries 1987). The life history of C. ctemene has not previously been recorded. The following observations on C. ctemene actinotis were made in Costa Rica in the Central Valley at Parque Nacional Tapantí in Orosi Valley (1200 m a.s.l.), and at Monteverde on the Pacific slope of Cordillera de Tilarán (1400 m a.s.l.) in February 2000 and October 2001, respectively. Additional observations on adult behaviour were made at Parque Nacional Chirripó (1840 m a.s.l.), San José Province, on the Pacific slope in Cordillera de Talamanca in February 2009.

Immature stages

Second-instar larva

See Figures 199, 200 ; 5 mm long; similar to third instar.

Third-instar larva

See Figures 201–203 ; 8 mm long; similar to fourth instar.

Fourth-instar larva

See Figures 204–206 ; 17 mm long; similar to final instar, but body with spots smaller and cream; posterior end of metathorax with a double transverse row of cream spots bearing long setae; anterior end of abdominal segment 1 with a conspicuous dorsolateral patch of cream spots bearing numerous long setae.

Fifth-instar larva

See Figures 207–212 ; 22 mm long; head black, with numerous white panicula bearing white setae; body maroon or purplish-brown, with a black middorsal line, intersegmental areas dull orange-brown forming a series of transverse bands, numerous yellow spots and patches bearing yellow panicula from which arise long cream setae, and numerous very short black setae; yellow spots and patches form broken longitudinal bands, especially in dorsolateral region, and are more pronounced just before prepupal stage; prothorax with a rectangular-shaped black dorsal plate conspicuously edged laterally with cream; abdominal segment 10 with a black dorsal plate bearing cream setae.

Pupa

See Figures 213–216 , 234, 235 ; 20 mm long (excluding anterior projection), 5 mm wide (n = 3); bright green, with scattered black spots; head with a prominent red anterior projection, and a smaller black subdorsal projection posteriorly; anterior projection long (4 mm), oriented upwards, and bifurcated at apex; prothorax with a pronounced longitudinal dorsal ridge; mesothorax with a pronounced red longitudinal dorsal ridge, a double rounded lateral protuberance at base of fore wing, and a broad lateral ridge posterior to lateral protuberance; abdominal segments 2– 4 each with a long, spine-like yellow dorsolateral projection tipped with black; abdominal segments 2–7 each with a spine-like red middorsal projection tipped with black (projections especially long on segments 3–7); cremaster pale yellow.

The immature stages are similar to those of C. sisamnus , C. hegemon and C. flisa , but in C. ctemene the final-instar larva is distinguished by the colour pattern in which the head capsule is black and the body purplish-brown with orange-brown transverse bands rather than being wholly green. The pupa is most similar to C. hegemon in colour pattern, both of which have the anterior projection on the head red, but the black spots are more pronounced. In C. ctemene , the middorsal projection on abdominal segment 8 is usually absent.

Larval food plants

In Costa Rica, the immature stages were associated with the larval food plant Antidaphne viscoidea ( Figures 39–41 ) parasitizing Psidium guajava growing either in an open disturbed area but close to rainforest adjacent to a river in the Central Valley (1200 m a.s.l.), or on the edge of rainforest on the Pacific slope of Cordillera de Tilarán (1400 m a.s.l.) ( Appendix 1).

Biology

The eggs and egg-laying habits were not recorded, but two cohorts of larvae were discovered and reared to adult. At Monteverde, a cohort of second-instar larvae in the process of moulting was found clustered together on the underside of a leaf of the larval food plant ( Figure 41 ) growing about 3 m from ground level in filtered sunlight beneath the canopy of the host tree. The leaf on which the larvae were moulting was situated well back from the terminal leaves, some 0.15 m from the tip of the branch, and the leaf petiole was heavily strengthened with silk. The terminal foliage of the branch showed signs of recent larval feeding as evidenced by their brown “skeletonized” appearance, indicating that the early instars mainly graze the epidermis of the leaf. In Orosi Valley, however, a cohort of fourth-instar larvae was found resting gregariously during the day on the main branch and trunk of the host tree. This second cohort, which was monitored in the field for 2 weeks (see below), was well concealed and subdivided into two subgroups: 19 larvae were resting on the underside of the main branch inclined at an angle of about 20° to the horizontal and located one metre above ground level; while 43 larvae were resting at the very base of the trunk and partly concealed under loose bark and tall grass growing around the base of the host tree. On the host tree several narrow silken trails, which extended from the trunk and main branch to the crown of the host tree, were evident. These observations suggest that the larvae switch their resting sites and foraging habits during the course of development, from the mistletoe to the base of the host tree with feeding becoming strictly nocturnal; the change over almost certainly occurs during the third instar, similar to that exhibited by Melete and Pereute and presumably Leodonta . When molested, the larvae regurgitated green fluid from the mouth. In captivity, finalinstar larvae, particularly prior to pupation, spun considerable quantities of silk over the foliage and stems of the food plant, as well as the walls of the rearing container. The larvae pupated vertically with the head oriented upwards, attached by the cremaster and a central silken girdle to large pad of silk spun over the substrate. When disturbed, the abdominal segments of the pupa twitched violently with rapid jerky movements. The adults of a given cohort emerged synchronously, over a period of 30 h, with the females emerging before the males. However, they were not ready for flight until about 5 h after emergence.

In Orosi Valley , a cohort of 62 instar-IV larvae subdivided into 2 groups was monitored for 2 weeks in February 2000, and the following observations were made. On 15 February, at 17:23 h (20 min before sunset), the larger subgroup (43 larvae) at the base of the trunk started to move up the trunk along a silken trail in single file; after travelling 2 m they reached the second smaller subgroup (19 larvae) and formed a single large cluster of larvae on the underside of the first major branch leading off the trunk of the host tree. For the next 20 min the larvae more or less remained stationary, although a few ventured a short distance further up the trail but quickly returned to rejoin the large cluster. At 17:43 h (sunset), 22 larvae left the main cluster and began crawling rapidly up the main branch along a silken trail in single file. At 17:48 h (5 min after sunset) the remaining 40 larvae except for 3 (which returned to the base of the host tree) started to move up the main branch on its lower side in single file; 3 min later (8 min after sunset) the 3 other larvae returned to the main cluster site and joined the procession. By this time, the larvae comprised a single trail, which stretched over a distance of 2.5 m from front to end; by 17:54 (11 min after sunset), however, the trail had increased in length to approximately three meters. At 18:23 h (40 min after sunset when conditions were totally dark) the larvae at the front of the trail reached the mistletoe clump, located about 9–10 m from the initial aggregation site. On 18 February, all but one larva had moved to the base of host tree where they were aggregated into three subgroups on loose bark and were moulting to instar V. By 28 February, only 11 larvae remained, all residing at the base of the host tree; these were collected and reared in captivity. The larvae pupated 3 d later on 2 March .

Adults ( Figure 217 ) were occasionally encountered in the field; a few were seen near the breeding areas in riparian habitats flying with a slow and fluttery flight. DeVries (1987) remarked that the females fly slowly along trails in the shady understorey. He also noted that the males perch in the forest understorey about 3–4 m above ground level early in the morning, presumably to establish mating territories. At Parque Nacional Chirripó, a small group of males was observed on one occasion to exhibit territorial behaviour in a light gap along a trail during the morning in mid February; they engaged in aerial disputes and after contests would settle near or on the ground to perch on dry leaf litter, rocks or fallen branches up to 0.5 m above ground level. Both sexes have been recorded to visit flowers of Fuchsia (Onagraceae) ( DeVries 1987). In Colombia, Bollino and Rodríguez (2004) noted that males of subspecies C. ctemene rubricata Weymer, 1907 puddle from moist sand of rivers and streams.

When reared in captivity at room temperature (c. 19–22°C) the larval developmental time, from instar III–V, was 18 d (duration of instars as follows: III, 5 d; IV, 6 d; V, 7 d), and the pupal duration was 9–10 d. In the field, however, the final instar, including the pre-pupal stage, took 11 d.

Figures

Figures 199–217. Catasticta ctemene immature stages on Antidaphne viscoidea, Monteverde (1400 m), Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica. (199–200) Larval instar II, showing cohort moulting (199), and dorsolateral view (200); (201–203) larval instar III, showing cohort (201), dorsal view (202), and lateral view (203); (204–206) larval instar IV, showing cohort dorsal view (204), cohort lateral view (205), and anterior view showing head capsule (206); (207–210) larval instar V, showing lateral view (207), dorsal view of head capsule and prothorax (208), lateral view of head capsule and thoracic segments (209), and posterolateral view (210); (211–212) prepupa, showing posterior view (211), and dorsolateral view (212); (213–216) pupa, showing lateral view (213), dorsal view (214), anterolateral view of projection of head (215), and posterolateral view of last abdominal segments (216); (217) freshly emerged female.

Figures 4–13. Adults of the Catasticta group. (4) Melete lycimnia isandra freshly emerged female, Costa Rica; (5) M. leucanthe male puddling, Peru; (6) Pereute callinice male puddling, Peru; (7) P. callinira male puddling, Peru; (8) P. cheops female freshly emerged, Costa Rica; (9) P. charops mass emergence, Costa Rica; (10) Leodonta tellane chiriquensis freshly emerged, Costa Rica; (11) Catasticta sisamnus sisamnus female freshly emerged, Costa Rica; (12) Archonias brassolis approximata male perching, Costa Rica; (13) A. brassolis negrina male basking (note beak mark on both wings), Peru. Note: Figure 9 photo, W. Haber.

Figures 14–23. Adults of the Catasticta group. (14) Catasticta reducta boliviana male puddling, Peru; (15) C. prioneris male puddling, dorsal view showing red patches at base of each hind wing being “displayed”, Peru; (16) C. eurigania straminea male puddling, Peru; (17) C. hegemon hegemon male perching at encounter site, Costa Rica; (18) C. teutila flavomaculata male basking on rock between drinking bouts along creek edge, Costa Rica; (19) C. teutila flavomaculata female feeding from flowers of Ageratina ixiocladon, Costa Rica; (20) C. teutila flavomaculata male freshly emerged, Costa Rica; (21) C. theresa male puddling, Costa Rica; (22) C. cerberus male freshly emerged, Costa Rica; (23) puddling aggregation of Catasticta, Archonias and Pereute amongst other diurnal Lepidoptera, Peru.

Figures 218–235. Pupae of the Catasticta group, showing dorsal and lateral views. (218–219) Melete isandra; (220–221) Pereute charops; (222–223) P. cheops; (224–225) Leodonta tellane; (226–227) Catasticta cerberus; (228–229) C. teutila; (230–231) C. sisamnus; (232–233) C. flisa; (234–235) C. ctemene. Note: Cuticle of L. tellane is clothed with numerous setae, which are not shown.

Figures 34–44. Habitats and larval food plants of the Catasticta group, Costa Rica. (34) Pereute charops, Leodonta tellane, Archonias brassolis, Catasticta teutila and C. ctemene habitat, Río Grande Orosi, Parque Nacional Tapantí (1200 m), Cartago Province; (35) C. theresa and C. teutila male puddling habitat, Copey (2200 m), San José Province; (36) C. cerberus breeding habitat, Cerro de la Muerte (3100 m), San José Province; (37) C. teutila breeding habitat, arrow shows location of larval food plant Dendrophthora costaricensis growing on mistletoe host tree, Villa Mills-Siberia Convenio Catie Field Station (2800 m), San José Province; (38) Dendrophthora costaricensis, a larval food plant of C. teutila, arrow shows cohort of larval instar I, Vara Blanca (2000 m), Heredia Province; (39–41) Antidaphne viscoidea, a larval food plant of Catasticta spp., Monteverde (1400–1500 m), Puntarenas Province; arrow shows cohort of larval instar II of C. ctemene, note larval feeding damage to terminal leaves (41); (42) Melete lycimnia breeding habitat, Sector Santa Rosa of Área de Conservación Guanacaste (300 m), Guanacaste Province; (43– 44) Phoradendron quadrangulare, a larval food plant of Melete lycimnia, parasitizing Guazuma ulmifolia, Sector Santa Rosa of Área de Conservación Guanacaste (300 m).