Immature stages of the Selaginella -feeding Euptychia mollina (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) from the Brazilian Amazon

ABSTRACT The present paper describes the immature stages of the Neotropical satyrine butterfly Euptychia mollina (Hübner, [1813]) from the Brazilian Amazon Forest. Eggs were laid singly on the under surface of the fronds of its host plant, Selaginella sp. (Briophyta: Selaginellaceae). Larvae are solitary in all instars, presenting a color pattern and shape that make them cryptic on its host plant. The pupa is short, smooth and varies from rusty brown to green. Despite the lack of a close phylogenetic relationship, larvae of Euptychia are very similar to those of the paleotropical satyrines Ragadia and Acrophtalmia, suggesting that camouflage is likely to be one of the factors explaining the similarities among them.

摘要 本文记述了采自巴西亚马孙森林的新热带界眼蝶亚科昆虫柔眼蝶（Euptychia mollina, Hübner, [1813]）的未成熟虫态。该蝶将卵单产在寄主植物卷柏属（Selaginella sp.，Briophyta: Selaginellaceae）叶片的腹面。各龄幼虫均为独居生活，其体色与体形使其在寄主植物上具备极佳的隐蔽性。蛹体短粗、表面光滑，体色可呈锈褐色至绿色。尽管柔眼蝶属（Euptychia）与古热带界眼蝶类群峦眼蝶属（Ragadia）及透眼蝶属（Acrophtalmia）并无紧密的系统发育亲缘关系，但其幼虫形态却与后两者极为相似，这表明隐蔽拟态可能是解释三者间形态相似性的关键因素之一。