Catasticta theresa Butler and H. Druce, 1874

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 : 1891-1892

Catasticta theresa Butler and H. Druce, 1874

Catasticta theresa ( Figure 21 ) is endemic to Central America where it is restricted to Costa Rica and Panama. It occurs on both slopes of Cordillera de Talamanca in montane forest between 1500 m and 2600 m ( DeVries 1987). Catasticta theresa is the smallest species of the genus in Costa Rica.

DeVries (1986) recorded the larval food plant as Antidaphne viscoidea parasitizing Alnus (Betulaceae) growing along the edge of riparian habitats. The egg was described as “bright orange-yellow”, the final-instar larva as “dull green to greenish brown, somewhat hairy, head capsule black” and the pupa as “black and white, resembling a bird dropping” ( DeVries 1987 p. 92). Eggs were reported to be laid in clusters, varying in size from 10 to 50 eggs on the larval food plant ( DeVries 1986), and the larvae were noted to feed gregariously and to pupate in small groups ( DeVries 1987).

The following observations on the life history of C. theresa were based on material collected from Costa Rica at San Gerardo de Rivas, Parque Nacional Chirripó (2450 m a.s.l.), San José Province, on the Pacific slope in Cordillera de Talamanca in February 2009. Our observations of the pupal stage contrast with those of DeVries (1987) .

Immature stages

Pupa

Length 15.5 mm (excluding anterior projection), width 4.8 mm (n = 1); bright green, with a few scattered small black spots; head with a prominent red anterior projection, and a smaller subdorsal projection posteriorly; anterior projection long (2.4 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 segment 2 with a small yellow dorsal projection and a small yellow dorsolateral projection; abdominal segment 3 with a long, spinelike yellow dorsolateral projection tipped with black; abdominal segments 3–8 each with a spine-like red middorsal projection tipped with black (projections especially long on segments 3–7); cremaster green.

The pupa closely resembles that of C. hegemon , C. flisa and C. ctemene in morphology and colour pattern; however, in C. theresa the pupa is substantially smaller, the pronounced dorsolateral projection on abdominal segment 4 is absent, and there are fewer black spots scattered over the green surface.

Biology

A single freshly transformed pupa was found on the underside of leaf of a shrub of Myrsine coriacea (Myrsinaceae) , about 1 m from ground level ( Appendix 1). We were not able to ascertain the larval food plant from which the individual originated, but the larva most likely had descended from the canopy. The pupa was collected and reared in captivity and a female subsequently emerged 11 d later. It has been reported that females fly in the canopy where the food plant often grows, and that oviposition occurs during midday ( DeVries 1987).

DeVries (1987) provided a detailed account of the unusual puddling behaviour exhibited by males of this species. Similar observations were made near Copey, San José Province (2200 m a.s.l.), in February 2000 and at San Gerardo de Dota , San José Province (2100 m a.s.l.), in July 2007; at both locations large numbers of males were observed drinking in a sunlit light gap within the forest from a montane creek. The males perched on mossy rocks close to the waters edge where they would drink from the damp moss, expelling a constant flow of water droplets from the anus. Occasionally they would attempt to settle on the surface of the fast flowing water, only to be submerged and washed several metres downstream; they then re-emerged and flew out of the water to settle on nearby rocks. When settled on rocks with wings closed the butterflies were well camouflaged .

Figures

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.