Page 215 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

BUTTERFLY CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Nymphalidae
DISTRIBUTION Andean regions of Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador
(possibly Peru)
HABITAT Cloud forests, forest edges, and landslides at mid to
upper elevations
HOST PLANTS Bamboo (Chusquea spp.)
NOTE Rarely encountered caterpillar that is extremely cryptic
on host plants
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but unlikely to become endangered

ADULT WINGSPAN
2⅜–2¾ in (60–70 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
2⅛–2⅜ in (55–60 mm)
CORADES CHELONIS
CORADES CHELONIS 213

HEWITSON, 1863

Unlike other species of its genus, Corades chelonis deposits
only one to two eggs at a time, and larvae feed solitarily. When
mature, the caterpillars are almost indistinguishable from an
aging leaf of their host plant. Their forward and rearward
projections make their shape very similar to the long, slender
bamboo leaves, and their brown and yellowish markings are
a perfect match to the aging patterns seen on older bamboo
leaves. Pupation occurs on the host plant stem, often close to
new growth. The pupa resembles, in shape and color, freshly
emerging leaves.

Adults are rapid and active fliers, often descending to the
ground to feed at urine or dung. They seem to be equally active
on sunny and cloudy days, at least in eastern Ecuador. When

ovipositing, females y rapidly over areas of bamboo, dropping
suddenly to land on a leaf and curling their abdomen under to
deposit the egg below. The Corades chelonis caterpillar is leaf
green with various spots, stripes, and lines
of yellows and browns that mimic leaf damage.
Its triangular head bears two long horns that
are fused to form an elongated cone, matched
at the posterior end by two long, caudal tails,
also held together to create one projection.

Actual size