Catasticta flisa (Herrich-Schäffer, [1858])

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 : 1883-1887

Catasticta flisa (Herrich-Schäffer, [1858])

This common and widespread species occurs from Mexico ( de la Maza 1987) to Venezuela and Ecuador, and consists of 13 subspecies (Lamas 2004; Bollino and Costa 2007). Eitschberger and Racheli (1998) recognized four allopatric subspecies from Central America south of Mexico: C. flisa flisandra Reissinger, 1972 from south-eastern Mexico to northern Costa Rica (with Alto Verapaz, Guatemala as type locality); C. flisa flisella Reissinger, 1972 from Guatemala; C. flisa melanisa Eitschberger and Racheli, 1998 from southern Costa Rica (with Turrialba as type locality) to Panama; and C. flisa archoflisa Eitschberger and Racheli, 1998 from Darién, Panama. Our observations on the life history were made from a population of C. flisa flisandra in northern Costa Rica. This subspecies occurs in wet forest habitats from 1000 m to 2500 m ( DeVries 1987).

The life history of C. flisa is poorly documented. Schultze-Rhonhof (1935) made general reference to mistletoes as the larval food plant, and described and crudely illustrated the pupa from Ecuador. The pupa was depicted at life size (measuring 20 mm in length, excluding the anterior projection) and shows the dorsal surface ( Figure 3 ), but the anterior projection of the head is missing the forked apex, suggesting the pupa was damaged prior to being illustrated. Schultze-Rhonhof (1935 p. 54) described the pupa as follows:

Sie trägt am Kopf ein langes, nach oben zurückgebogenes, an der Spitze gegabeltes Horn, über die Rückenmitte des Abdomens eine Reihe nach vorn gekrümmter Dornen und beiderseits des abgeflachten vorderen Teiles desselben drei laterale, seiwärts gerichtete grosse Dornen (deren vordeste am kleinsten sind). Von Farbe ist die Puppe lebhaft hellgrün und beiderseits der Rückenmitte mit je einer Reihe schwarzer Pünktchen geziert.

[On the head there is a long “horn” which is bent upwards and forked at the point. Along the middle of the back of the abdomen, there is a row of thorns which are bent towards the front. On both sides of the flat front part of the abdomen, there are three lateral, big thorns, pointing to the sides (the front ones are the smallest ones). The cocoon is of a gay light-green colour, and on both sides of the middle of the back there is a row of black dots.] (Our translation)

More recently, Bollino and Rodríguez (2004) illustrated the lateral surface of the pupa from Colombia which, although matches the generalized description given by Schultze-Rhonhof, differs slightly in colour from our material from Costa Rica in that the dorsal spine-like projections of the abdominal segments of the pupa are white tipped with black, rather than being wholly red.

The following observations on the life history of C. flisa flisandra were based on material reared from Costa Rica at Monteverde in mid-elevation forest (1500 m a.s.l.) on the Pacific slope of Cordillera de Tilarán. In addition, we examined a single pupa from Mexico preserved in USNM wet collection that is almost certainly C. flisa , but which had been misidentified as Melete .

Immature stages

Egg.

See Figures 182–184 ; 0.8 mm high, 0.5 mm wide; white when newly laid, later changing to yellow-orange; barrel-shaped, with base flattened and much narrower in width than middle; chorion with numerous (approx. 26) longitudinal ribs, and a series of finer transverse lines between longitudinal ribs; apical rim with seven to eight prominent paler nodules.

First-instar larva

See Figures 185, 186 ; 3.5 mm long, head capsule 0.4 mm wide (n = 4); head black, with a few colourless primary setae; body yellow after eclosion, changing to translucent yellow-green after consuming food, with numerous long, fine colourless primary setae; paired black dorsal setae, bifurcated at apex, on meso- and metathorax and abdominal segments 1–8; prothorax with rectangular-shaped reddish-brown dorsal plate bearing six setae (in two groups, three on either side of middorsal line), two dorsolateral setae and a lateral seta; meso- and metathorax each with four setae (one subdorsal, two dorsolateral, one lateral), all in a transverse row; abdominal segments 1–9 each with four setae (one subdorsal, two dorsolateral, one lateral); abdominal segment 10 with a reddish dorsal plate bearing setae.

Second-instar larva

See Figure 187 ; 5 mm long, head capsule 0.6 mm wide (n = 8); similar to first instar, but body translucent orange-green, with red middorsal line, and numerous short brown secondary setae; prothorax and abdominal segment 10 each with a conspicuous reddish dorsal plate.

Third-instar larva

See Figure 188 ; 9 mm long; similar to fourth instar, but body translucent brownishgreen.

Fourth-instar larva

See Figure 189 ; 16 mm long, head capsule 1.8 mm wide (n = 11); similar to final instar, but head with panicula white, body with panicula brighter yellow.

Fifth-instar larva

See Figures 190–194 ; 28 mm long, head capsule 2.9 mm wide (n = 4); head dark brown, with numerous pale orange panicula from which arise white setae; body green, with a black middorsal line, numerous cream and pale yellow panicula from which arise long white setae, and numerous shorter brown setae; prothorax with dorsal plate centred black and bearing setae; abdominal segment 10 with black dorsal plate bearing setae.

Pupa

See Figures 195–198 , 232, 233 ; 19 mm long (excluding anterior projection), 5 mm wide (n = 3); bright green, with a few scattered black spots; head with a prominent pale yellow-green 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 pale green dorsolateral projection tipped with orange-red; abdominal segments 2–8 each with a spine-like red middorsal projection (especially long on segments 3–7); cremaster green.

The immature stages are similar to those of C. sisamnus , C. hegemon and C. ctemene , but in C. flisa the final-instar larva has a narrow black dorsal line; the pupa has the anterior projection on the head yellow-green, and the prominent dorsal and dorsolateral projections on the abdomen are orange-red or red without black tips.

Larval food plants

In Costa Rica, a single cohort of eggs was found on the foliage of Phoradendron undulatum parasitizing Psidium guajava growing in mid-elevation forest on the Pacific slope of Cordillera de Tilarán ( Appendix 1). The larvae that emerged from this batch of eggs were reared to adult on this mistletoe. A cohort of larvae of Leodonta tellane was also recorded on the same mistletoe clump.

Biology

The single cohort, comprising 60 eggs, was found on the underside of a new large leaf of the larval food plant growing approximately 2 m from ground level. The behaviour of the larvae and pupae was similar to that described for the preceding three species of Catasticta . When molested, the early-instar larvae ( II, III) responded by regurgitating dark green fluid from the mouth. We did not observe the pupal habits in the field, but Schultze-Rhonhof (1935) noted in Ecuador that the pupae are found on the branches and petioles of consumed leaves of the larval food plant. In captivity, adults took at least 6 h after emergence before their wings were hardened and ready for flight .

Few observations were made on adults in the field, although males were on several occasions observed feeding from flowers, including Fuchsia paniculata (Onagraceae) . DeVries (1987) noted that both sexes also feed on Hamelia and Psychotria (both Rubiaceae ); Vega (2004) added Senecio multivenius Benth. (Asteraceae) . DeVries (1987) provided a detailed account of territorial behaviour and noted that, like C. hegemon , the males vigorously defend territories against conspecifics and other species of butterflies by perching in light gaps or along trails in the subcanopy, about 7 m from ground level, during the morning. In Colombia, Bollino and Rodríguez (2004) noted that males of this species drink water from sand and rocks along streams.

The development time for the complete cycle from egg to adult, when reared at room temperature (c. 19–22°C), was approximately 7 weeks (egg, 8 d; larva, 32–34 d [duration of instars as follows: I, 7 d; II, 7 d; III, 5 d; IV, 5–6 d; V, 8–9 d]; pupa, 9–10 d).

Figures

Figures 2–3. Reproductions of historical illustrations of pupae of the Catasticta group. (2) Pereute charops (Klots 1933); (3) Catasticta flisa (Schultze-Rhonhof 1935). Note: In C. flisa the anterior projection of the head is missing the forked apex (described by Schultze-Rhonhof (1935)), suggesting the pupa was damaged prior to being illustrated.

Figures 182–198. Catasticta flisa immature stages on Phoradendron undulatum, Monteverde (1500 m), Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica. (182–184) Eggs, showing cohort (182), lateral view (183), and colour several days after deposition, dorsolateral view (184); (185–186) larval instar I, showing newly emerged (185), and dorsolateral view (186); (187) larval instar II, cohort feeding; (188) larval instar III, cohort; (189) larval instar IV; (190–193) larva instar V, showing dorsolateral view (190), dorsal view (191), anterolateral view of head capsule (192), and posterior view (193); (194) prepupa, dorsolateral view; (195–198) pupa, showing lateral view (195), dorsal view (196), anterolateral view of projection of head (197), and posterior view of last abdominal segments (198).

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 24–33. Habitats and larval food plants of the Catasticta group. (24–25) Pereute callinira habitat, San Ramón (1400 m), Chanchamayo district, Peru; (26) P. cheops breeding habitat, showing larval food plant Phoradendron tonduzii parasitizing host tree Croton, Copey (1850 m), San José Province, Costa Rica; (27) P. cheops larval silken trail on trunk of mistletoe host tree Croton, Copey (1850 m), Costa Rica; (28–29) P. charops breeding habitat, Orosi Valley (1100–1200 m), Cartago Province, Costa Rica; arrows show cohort of pupal exuviae on trunk of mistletoe host tree (28) and location of cohort of larvae on trunk of mistletoe host tree Psidium guajava (29); (30) Phoradendron undulatum, a larval food plant of P. charops, Orosi Valley (1100m), Costa Rica; (31) Phoradendron chrysocladon, a larval food plant of Leodonta tellane, Monteverde (1500 m), Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica; (32–33) Leodonta tellane breeding habitat, Monteverde (1500 m), Costa Rica; arrows show location of cohort of larvae on trunk of mistletoe host tree Psidium guajava (32) and location of cohort of pupae on leaves of Clusia stenophylla growing adjacent to mistletoe host tree Conostegia oerstediana (33).

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.