Synpalamides phalaris ( Fabricius 1793 )

González, Jorge M. & Cock, Matthew J. W., 2004, A synopsis of the Castniidae (Lepidoptera) of Trinidad and Tobago, Zootaxa 762, pp. 1-19 : 5-6

Synpalamides phalaris ( Fabricius 1793) (Fig. 4)

Castnia argus Boisduval [1875]: Lathy (1925); Kaye & Lamont (1927).

Although widely distributed in southern Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay ( Lamas 1995; Miller 1986), this species is rarely recorded in Trinidad. No other records are known to us from northern South America. Kaye & Lamont (1927) record one specimen (as C. argus ) captured at Moruga, 16 Nov 1920, by E. E. Fabien, but we have not seen this specimen. Kaye (1940) noted that E. E. Fabien captured a specimen of Pyrrhogyra crameri Aurivillius (Nymphalidae) at Moruga in March 1922. No further captures of this butterfly were made, and Barcant (1970) considered this a doubtful Trinidad species. Cock (1981) rediscovered P. crameri in lowland swamp forest near Moruga in 1980, suggesting that S. phalaris may also be found in this habitat. Furthermore, MJWC captured the second known Trinidad specimen of S. phalaris at the edge of Caroni Swamp, in west Central Trinidad during the dry season, Feb 1982. Epiphytic Bromeliaceae in the genera Guzmania and Bromelia are known to be hosts of this day­flying moth ( Miller 1986). However, the 1982 area of collection in Trinidad was grassy with scattered trees and a few bushes of a Solanum sp. ( Solanaceae ) and Bromeliaceae were not conspicuous. Probably S. phalaris was not breeding in the immediate vicinity, and this male could have been engaged in mate location at this site (J. Y. Miller, pers. comm.).

Material examined: CARONI: 1ɗ, Caroni Swamp, 0.75 mi. SSW of Cacandee Sluice, 20 Feb 1982, M.J.W. Cock ( MJWC).