Rekoa meton CRAMER, 1779
Family - LYCAENIDAE
subfamily - THECLINAE
Tribe - EUMAEINI
Introduction
All neotropical Hairstreak species are placed in the tribe Eumaeini. Until recently the taxonomy of this tribe was chaotic, with a high percentage of the species unstudied, and inappropriately filed away in the Old World genus Thecla. In 2004 Lamas published a checklist of neotropical butterflies, which included a revision of the Eumaeini by Robbins, in which the 1,058 currently known species are partitioned into 83 genera. All species previously placed in Thecla have now been reassigned to other genera, or designated to newly erected genera. The original genus Thecla is now used only for the Brown Hairstreak Thecla betulae of Europe, and it's Chinese cousins T. betulina and T. elwesi.
The genus Rekoa comprises of 7 species, all neotropical in distribution. Four of these species, i.e. marius, stagira, zebina and bourkei are "typical" hairstreaks - their undersides are plain brown in colour, marked with red tornal spots on the hindwings, and possessing the hairline streak that gives these butterflies their common generic name. Two of the others, i.e. palegon and malina, have a series of suffused dark lines on the undersides, but the striking tiger stripes and false "eye" on the hindwings of meton are unique.
Rekoa meton is distributed from Mexico to Paraguay.
Habitats
This species is found in tropical and subtropical forest-edge habitats at altitudes between about 200-800m.
Adult behaviour
The butterflies are normally seen singly. Males can be found perched on foliage or dead flower heads, presumably using these outposts as perching places from which to survey passing females. They are also sometimes seen imbibing moisture from the ground.
