Dircenna olyras (Felder & Felder), cf.


Male dorsal

Male ventral

Female dorsal

Female ventral

Identification:
Forewing discal cell mostly filled with smoky
shading with apical edge reaching vein Cu1,
antennae cream in life, medium size,
pattern generally bolder than chiriquensis,
klugii and relata, shading on ventral hindwing
disc whitish, pattern darker in female.

Wingspan: 67-71mm

Forewing length: 34-36mm

Local distribution: Both slopes down to about 700 m.

Similar species: Dircenna relata, Hyalyris excelsa, Ithomia xenos, Napeogenes cranto

Species range: Nicaragua to Panama

Abundance: Common

Larval host plants:

Solanum cordovense

Early stages: Solitary

Comments: Fox considered this butterfly to be a full species (Dircenna olyras calverti Fox, 1941), but DeVries (1987) lumped it with D. relata as a form. In Monteverde the dark form with cream antennae and the discal bar reaching vein Cu1 seems distinct and this is the only type of Dircenna that I have observed using Solanum cordovense as a larval hostplant.



32 K JPG 32 K JPG
male female

Monteverde butterflies
Copyright © 2001 by William A. Haber, http://efg.cs.umb.edu/
Created: 28 December 2000. Updated: 2 December 2006.