Pink-banded Sister - Adelpha lycorias (GODART, 1824)

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Genus: Adelpha
Species: lycorias
Binomial name: Adelpha lycorias (GODART, 1824)

Introduction

The majority of Adelpha species are similarly marked with bands of white, and orange markings in the subapical area. Adelpha lycorias is unique in having broad pink diagonal bands across the forewings, although there are several other orange-banded species with a similar pattern, including salmoneus and boreas.

Adelpha lycorias occurs from Mexico to Paraguay, and also in the Atlantic cloudforests of Brazil.

Habitats

This species is found at elevations between sea level and about 2500m but is commonest in cloudforest habitats between 800-1800m.

Lifecycle

The eggs are white or pale green, and laid singly on the foliage of the foodplants.

The fully grown larva is pale brown, marked on the thoracic segments with a pale saddle adorned with eight prominent whorled spikes. A series of shorter spikes run along the back, and the lateral areas are adorned with small bristles. The larvae feed on Trema ( Ulmaceae ) in deciduous forest, Urera and Myriocarpa ( Urticaceae ) in lowland rainforest, and Cecropia ( Moraceae ) in premontane cloudforest. They habitually rest on the upper surface of the leaves, adopting an "S" posture.

The pupa, which is suspended by the cremaster from a twig, is dark brown with bronze wing cases. It is smooth, but oddly shaped, with an enormous "jug handle" on the thorax.

Adult behaviour

This species has a slower and more graceful flight than the white-and-orange banded Adelpha species. Males often glide in circles at knee-height, alighting for a moment here and there on damp soil to imbibe moisture.

Both sexes feed at rotting fruit, either in the canopy or on the forest floor.

Perrhybris pyrrha (Cramer 1775)

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Suborder: Ditrysia
Superfamily: Papilionoidea
Family: Pieridae - Duponchel, 1835
Genus: Perrhybris
Specific name: pyrrha - Cramer 1775
Scientific name: - Perrhybris pyrrha Cramer 1775

Wattled Jacana - Gallito lagunero (Jacana jacana) - Linnaeus, 1766

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Jacanidae
Genus: Jacana
Species: J. jacana
Binomial name: Jacana jacana (Linnaeus, 1766)

Some information:

General:The Wattled Jacana Jacana jacana is a wader which is a resident breeder from western Panama and Trinidad south through most of South America east of the Andes.

The jacanas are a group of wetland birds, which are identifiable by their huge feet and claws that enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone.

The Wattled Jacana lays four black-marked brown eggs in a floating nest. The male, as with other jacanas and some other wader families like the phalaropes, takes responsibility for incubation, with two eggs held between each wing and the breast. The females are polyandrous, and will help to defend the nests of up to four mates.

These are conspicuous and unmistakable birds. They are 17-23 cm long, but the females are larger than the males. The adults have a chestnut back and wing coverts, with the rest of the body mainly black. In flight the greenish yellow flight feathers are obvious. The yellow bill extends up as a red coot-like head shield and a reddish wattle, and the legs and very long toes are dull blue-grey. There is a long sharp spur on the bend of the wing.

Young birds initially have entirely white underparts, and can always be identified by the presence of white in their plumage.

There are six races, with the nominate J. j. jacana being the most widespread. Several of the other subspecies are similar, but J. j. hypomelaena of western Panama and northern Colombia has all the chestnut plumage replaced by black, and J. j. scapularis of western Ecuador has some black feathers on its chestnut shoulders, and white outer primary feathers.

This species produces a range of noisy rattling calls.

The Wattled Jacana's food is insects, other invertebrates and seeds picked from the floating vegetation or the water’s surface.

Yellow crab spider (Misumenoides formosipes)

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Thomisidae
Genus: Misumenoides
Species: M. formosipes
Binomial name: Misumenoides formosipes (Walckenaer, 1837)

Some information:

General:This species is a sit-and-wait predator that captures pollinators as they visit the inflorescences on which the spider sits. The spider has strong front legs which are used to seize prey. The female spider is much larger than the male. The length of females is 5.0–11.3 millimetres (0.20–0.44 in) and the length of males is 2.5–3.2 mm (0.10–0.13 in). The pattern of markings on females is variable and the overall color of the body can change between white and yellow dependent on the color of their surroundings. The color pattern for males, which does not change in their lifetime, differs from females in that the four front legs of males are dark brown and the abdomen is gold. The spider can be found throughout the United States. Males search for sedentary females within a heterogeneous habitat.

Caligo eurilochus - Owl Butterfly -(Cramer, 1775)

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Tribe: Brassolini
Genus: Caligo
Species: C. eurilochus
Binomial name: Caligo eurilochus (Cramer, 1775)

General information: Caligo eurilochus is an owl butterfly (tribe Brassolini of nymphalid subfamily Morphinae, ranging from Mexico, through Central America, to the Amazon River basin in South America. The type locality is Suriname. Several subspecies are recognized, but many more have been proposed. The larvae feed on several hostplants, including Calathea latifolia (Marantaceae), Heychium sp. (Zingiberaceae), Heliconia latispatha (Heliconiaceae), and Musa spp. (Musaceae). The larva also feed on the fruit of most Musa species. The female lays a large number of eggs of one of the host plants and the small larvae hatch after about 3-5 days. Fertile eggs develop a grey ring just above the center. Infertile eggs collapse. The first instar of the larvae are white with 2 orange/brown stripes down the length of their body leading to two little spindles at the end. Later on in life the larvae develop hairs mimicking spines and a crown made of four horns at the back of their head. The larvae then find a high enough spot to pupate and begin the change of metamorphosis. The large owl butterfly emerges and begins to pump out its wings, later searching for food. the butterflies drink the juices of fermenting fruits and a wide variety of nectar plants.

Consul fabius cecrops (Doubleday, 1849)- Tiger striped Leafwing

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Consul
Species: fabius

Size Wingspan: 30 to 40 mm. Sexes similar.

Identification: At the apex of the forewing is a light yellow stain. The costal margin above the discal area and even the marginal area is a yellow transverse band. Basal area including part of discal cell and up to around an orange stripe. The apex of the wing is falcate. Hind wing orange, with the distal margin below the apex, dark brown with four yellow spots.

Range: Mexico to Bolivia

Southern Dogface, Colias cesonia - (Stoll, 1790)

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pieridae
Genus: Colias
Species: C. cesonia
Binomial name: Colias cesonia (Stoll, 1790)

General: The Southern Dogface, Colias cesonia, is a North American butterfly in the family Pieridae, subfamily Coliadinae (sometimes it is placed in the related genus Zerene instead of Colias).

The upper side of the pointed fore wings have a dogface pattern. The wings are mainly yellow with black borders. The under side of the wings is mostly yellow with a black eyespot on the fore wing and two white spots on the hind wing.

This butterfly can be found in short-grass prairie hills, open woodlands, and near road edges. Both male and female Southern Dogfaces may be seen feeding at flowers such as Alfalfa, Coreopsis sp., Houstonia sp., and Verbena sp.. Males are also fond of puddling. Its host plants include Lead Plant Amorpha canescens, False Indigo Amorpha fruticosa, Soy Bean Glycine max, Alfalfa Medicago sativa, Black Dalea Dalea frutescens, Purple Prairie Clover Dalea purpurea, and clover Trifolium sp.. Males patrol areas for females. The male is the active flight partner. The green-white eggs are laid on the underside of the host plant leaves. The larva is green with a white stripe running down each side of its body. The green chrysalis hangs up right with a silken girdle around itself.

Soldier-grasshopper or "Brasileirinho", Chromacris speciosa - (Thunberg, 1824)

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Family: Romaleidae
Genus: Chromacris
Species: C. speciosa
Binomial name: Chromacris speciosa (Thunberg, 1824)

General: The grasshopper-soldier (Chromacris speciosa) is a grasshopper widely distributed in Brazil. The adults of these insects have green and yellow coloration, and the nymphs are black with red welt.

The Chromacris speciosa is also known in Brazil as “gafanhoto-soldado”, soldier-grasshopper, and it also has the nickname “brasileirinho”, little brazilian boy, because of it’s colors. It the nation’s colors!

The brasileirinho is in the Romaleida family, and the interesting thing is that they begin life looking very different. When they are nymphs, they are black with bright red stripes, which is also a very interesting combination to look at. The reason why they have the bright red markings when they are little is to keep predators away.

Owlfly - Genus: Ululodes (Currie 1889)

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Neuroptera (Antlions, Lacewings and Allies)
Family: Ascalaphidae (Owlflies)
Genus: Ululodes

General: Owlflies are dragonfly-like insects with large bulging eyes and long knobbed antennae. They are neuropterans in the family Ascalaphidae; they are only distantly related to the true flies, and even more distant from the dragonflies and damselflies. They are diurnal or crepuscular predators of other flying insects, and are typically 5 cm (2.0 in) long.

Owlflies are readily distinguished from dragonflies because the latter have short bristle-like antennae. The closely related antlions (family Myrmeleontidae) have short, clubbed antennae, smaller eyes, and very different wing venation. The sole living member of the subfamily Albardiinae, the Brazilian Albardia furcata, also has short, clubbed antennae, but its typical reticulate ascalaphid wing venation demonstrates its actual

Pareuptychia ocirrhoe (Fabricius 1777)

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
(unranked): Rhopalocera
Superfamily: Papilionoidea
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Satyrinae
Tribe: Satyrini
Genus: Pareuptychia
Species: ocirrhoe