Catasticta sisamnus (Fabricius, 1793)

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 : 1875-1879

Catasticta sisamnus (Fabricius, 1793)

This polytypic widespread species occurs from Honduras through Colombia to Venezuela and Bolivia ( D’Abrera 1981; DeVries 1987; Lamas 2004; Bollino and Rodríguez 2004). It includes six subspecies (Lamas 2004; Bollino and Costa 2007), although the type locality of the nominate subspecies is unknown. Eitschberger and Racheli (1998) described C. sisamnus smalli Eitschberger and Racheli, 1998 from Darién, Panama based on the broader black terminal band of the hind wing compared with the nominate subspecies, but this subspecies is not known to occur in Costa Rica (G. Lamas, personal communication 2009). Material from elsewhere in Central America (i.e. Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica) belongs with the nominate subspecies C. sisamnus sisamnus (Fabricius, 1793) . In Costa Rica, this subspecies occurs in wet forest on both slopes from 1200 m to 2500 m ( DeVries 1987). A male collected at Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE), Turrialba, Cartago province (9°53′38″N, 83°38′56″W), from the Atlantic slope at 550 m a.s.l. on 23 May 2005 by I. Nakamura and K. Nishida (unpublished data) provides a substantially lower elevation record.

The life history of C. sisamnus has not previously been recorded. The following observations were made in Costa Rica at Río Macho in Orosi Valley, Cartago Province, in the Central Valley at an elevation of 1150 m. In addition to our reared material, we examined a pupal exuvia that was collected as a prepupa on Inga marginata Kunth (Fabaceae) from Volcán Cacao, Cordillera de Guanacaste, Guanacaste Province (1000 m a.s.l.) by Mariano Pereira on 19 July 2000 (D. Janzen, personal communication 2001).

Immature stages

Egg

See Figures 145–147 ; 0.8 mm high, 0.5 mm wide; white, later changing to cream; barrel-shaped, with base flattened and much narrower in width than middle; chorion with numerous (approx. 26–28) 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 148, 149 ; 3.5 mm long; head orange-brown, with a few colourless primary setae; body pale lemon after eclosion, changing to 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 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 dorsal plate bearing setae.

Second-instar larva

See Figures 150, 151 ; 5 mm long; similar to first instar, but head dark brown-black, with prominent orange-brown band in ventrolateral region; body green with numerous cream and yellow panicula bearing colourless setae, and numerous short brown secondary setae.

Third-instar larva

See Figure 152 ; 8 mm long, head capsule 1.1 mm wide (n = 21); similar to final instar.

Fourth-instar larva.

See Figures 153–155 ; 16 mm long, head capsule 1.7 mm wide (n = 14); similar to final instar.

Fifth-instar larva

See Figures 156, 157 ; 28 mm long, head capsule 2.8 mm wide (n = 24); head black, with prominent orange-brown band in ventrolateral region, and numerous dull orange panicula bearing setae; body bright green, with numerous white and yellow panicula from which arise short colourless setae, and numerous shorter brown setae; prothorax with dorsal plate centred black and bearing setae; abdominal segment 10 with dull olive-green dorsal plate bearing setae.

Pupa

See Figures 158–161 , 230, 231 ; 18 mm long (excluding anterior projection), 5 mm wide (n = 16); pale green, with numerous large black spots; head with a prominent yellow 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 black longitudinal dorsal ridge (with base orange-brown), 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 black dorsolateral projection (with base yellow); abdominal segments 2–8 each with a long, spine-like black middorsal projection (especially long on segments 3–7); middorsal projections orange-brown at base on segments 2 and 3, but yellow at base on segments 4–8; cremaster yellow.

The immature stages are similar to those of C. hegemon , C. flisa and C. ctemene , but in C. sisamnus the pupa has more conspicuous black spots, the anterior projection on the head is yellow and longer, the prominent dorsal and dorsolateral projections on the abdomen are yellow tipped with black, and the cremaster is yellow.

Larval food plants

In Costa Rica, the immature stages were found on, or were indirectly associated with, Antidaphne viscoidea ( Figures 39, 40 ) parasitizing Psidium guajava growing in disturbed habitat comprising secondary forest ( Appendix 1). The larvae readily consumed the foliage of this mistletoe in captivity. In two cases, there was also the possibility of an association with Phoradendron based on presence of pupae on or near the host tree; however, the immature stages of the butterfly were not found on this mistletoe.

Biology

Two cohorts of eggs, comprising 35 and 45 eggs per cluster, were found on the larval food plant; in both cases the eggs were deposited on the upperside near the apical portion of large mature leaves of the mistletoe growing near the canopy of the host tree. The larvae fed gregariously, developed synchronously and remained on the foliage of the larval food plant. When molested, the larvae reared their head back, wriggled violently and exuded green fluid from the mouth. Pupae and prepupae were found singly, usually some distance from the food plant, either attached to the trunk or upper or underside of leaves of the host tree or, in one case, a small non-mistletoe host tree ( Citrus ) growing nearby. These observations indicate that larvae disperse from the food plant to pupate elsewhere. The pupae were attached by the cremaster and a central silken girdle and, when situated on a trunk, were oriented vertically head upwards. In captivity, adults were not ready for flight until 6–7 h after emergence.

In Peru, males of subspecies C. sisamnus telasco (Lucas, 1852) were observed exhibiting territorial behaviour in riparian habitats near San Ramón, Chanchamayo district (1300 m a.s.l.) during November 2000. Typically, older males in worn condition, as indicated by extent of wing wear, would establish and defend a small territory about 10 m in length along the bank of a river by perching on foliage of several rainforest plants, including large leaves and grass blades, 2–4 m above the surface of the water; when settled the wings remained tightly closed with head and body oriented slightly downwards facing a more open area (i.e. away from dense vegetation). They remained settled for long periods, occasionally flying, with a slow fluttery flight, a short distance to perch on a different object. If a similarly white coloured butterfly entered the territory, the male would leave its perch to chase it off before returning to settle. In Colombia, Bollino and Rodríguez (2004) noted that males of this species drink water from sand and rocks along streams. In Costa Rica, a freshly emerged female of C. sisamnus sisamnus was captured whilst feeding on Asteraceae flowers; it was subsequently dissected in the laboratory, which indicated that the specimen had mated, as revealed by presence of a large spermatophore in the bursa copulatrix, but the eggs were not developed.

The life cycle from egg to adult when reared at room temperature (c. 19–22°C) was completed in approximately six weeks (egg, 7 d; larva, 26–28 d [duration of instars as follows: I, 4 d; II, 5 d; III, 4 d; IV, 6 d; V, 7–9 d]; pupa, 9–11 d). Presumably the species breeds throughout the year in the mid-elevation forests.

Several parasitoids were reared from the immature stages, including a possible new genus of tachinid fly from the prepupal and pupal stages, and numerous Eurytoma wasps ( Eurytomidae ), which emerged from the thorax of the pupa. In addition, a pupal shell was found to posses a distinct exit hole on mid-thoracic area made by a Conura wasp ( Chalcididae ). On another occasion, ceratopogonid flies were observed feeding on the hemolymph of prepupae; two weeks later these pupae turned brown and died.

Figures

Figures 145–161. Catasticta sisamnus immature stages on Antidaphne viscoidea, Río Macho, Orosi Valley (1150 m), Cartago Province, Costa Rica. (145–147) Eggs, showing cohort (145), dorsolateral view (146) and lateral view (147); (148–149) larval instar I, showing newly emerged cohort (148), and cohort several days after feeding (149); (150–151) larval instar II, showing cohort (150), and dorsolateral view (151); (152) larval instar III, cohort moulting; (153–155) larval instar IV, showing dorsal view of head and thoracic segments (153), dorsal view of last abdominal segments (154), and anterior view of head capsule (155); (156) larva instar V and prepupae, dorsal view; (157) prepupa, lateral view; (158–161) pupa, showing lateral view (158), dorsal view (159), anterolateral view of projection of head (160), and posterior view of last abdominal segments (161).

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 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.

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).