and nitrogen, just as bird droppings do for army ant
butterflies. Other butterflies, especially swallowtails,
may be present at a urine site as well.
What’s That Gorgeous Green Butterfly?
Most visitors to Neotropical forests and forest edges
from Central America through northern Amazonia
have the visual thrill of seeing a Malachite (Siproeta
stelenes; plate 16- 99). A member of the huge brush-
footed butterflies family (Nymphalidae), the Malachite
is both distinctive and common. Adults feed on flower
nectar but are often attracted to dung, rotting fruit, or
even animal carcasses. They fly slowly and often perch
with wings shut (plate 16- 100).
Look, That Butterfly Has Transparent Wings
The forest butterflies called the clearwing satyrs
(Cithaerias spp., subfamily Satyrinae) are often seen in
the understory and around light gaps. These butterflies
have a bouncy flight and are apt to perch frequently,
often on a log along a forest trail (plate 16- 101). Their
wings are highly transparent, most obvious when they
are flying. Several species look very much alike but are
separated by range.That’s a Moth?At first glance, moths in the genus Urania are easily
mistaken for species of swallowtail butterflies (plate 16-
102). They are true moths, though unlike most of their
kin, they commonly fly during daylight hours. Various
species occur, ranging from Central America through
Amazonia, and all look similar. Some populations are
migratory, and their perambulations have been linked to
increasing toxicity of their host plant, Omphalea, a genus
of lianas. It has been suggested that when urania moths
become so abundant that their caterpillars are having a
strong negative impact, the local population of Omphalea
increases its defense compound concentration, driving
the moths away, to find less toxic lianas. Adult urania
moths feed mostly on nectar and tree sap.Plate 16- 99. Malachite with wings open, showing its upper
wings. Photo by John Kricher.
Plate 16- 100. Malachite with wings closed, resting beneath a
leaf. Photo by John Kricher.Plate 16- 101. A clearwing satyr of the species Cithaerias pireta.
Photo by John Kricher.
Plate 16- 102. Urania moth stopping temporarily on a grassy
lawn. Photo by John Kricher.362 chapter 16 from monkeys to tarantulas: endless eccentricities