Xanthocastnia evalthe evalthe ( Fabricius 1775 )

González, Jorge M. & Cock, Matthew J. W., 2004, A synopsis of the Castniidae (Lepidoptera) of Trinidad and Tobago, Zootaxa 762, pp. 1-19 : 13

Xanthocastnia evalthe evalthe ( Fabricius 1775) (Fig. 12)

Castnia evalthe evalthe ( Fabricius, 1775) : Kaye & Lamont (1927).

The species is widely distributed from southern Mexico to southern Brazil. The nominate subspecies is not uncommon in Venezuela, Northern Brazil, Guyana, French Guiana, Surinam and Trinidad ( Miller 1986). Kaye & Lamont (1927) list it from Trinidad without comment. Typically, food plants of Xanthocastnia are in the genus Bromelia (Bromeliaceae) , although some Heliconia spp. ( Heliconiaceae ) may also be used ( Miller 1986, Moss 1945).

In Trinidad, X. evalthe has been found occasionally in the forests of the Northern Range. It has not been recorded from other parts of the island, but there seems little reason why it should not be more widespread. MJWC has observed that it flies at a height of 1–2 m, within the forest, and does not normally frequent open ridge tops or hilltops.

Material examined: ST. GEORGE: 1ɗ, 5 ½ mi. WNW Arima, Arima Pass, Andrew’s Trace, 1800 – 2000 ft., 19 Aug 1970, Ehrlich & Gilbert (AMNH); 1ɗ, idem, 7 Dec 1970 (AMNH); 1ɗ, Las Lappas Trace, 20 Sep 1978, M.J.W. Cock (MJWC); 1ɗ, St. Anne’s, R. Dick (BMNH); 1Ψ, St. Ann’s Ridge, 30 Jan 1979, M.J.W. Cock (MJWC).