Page 257 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

BUTTERFLY CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Nymphalidae
DISTRIBUTION From the coastal Andean range of Venezuela, south to Colombia
and northern Ecuador on both Andean slopes
HABITAT Cloud forests and bamboo thickets at middle and upper elevations
HOST PLANTS Bamboo (Chusquea spp.)
NOTE Distinctive caterpillar, but rarely seen
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but unlikely to be endangered

ADULT WINGSPAN
2 ⁄ –2¾ in (65–70 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
1⅛–1¼ in (28–32 mm)
MYGONA IRMINA
MYGONA IRMINA 255

(DOUBLEDAY, [1849])

Mygona irmina caterpillars hatch from eggs laid singly on the
underside of mature bamboo leaves. Initially, they rest near
the tip of mature leaves, feeding in a way that leaves one margin
of the leaf apex intact. Against this thinned portion of the leaf,
they are very cryptic. During the middle stage of development,
larvae rest on the dorsal surface of leaves, often traveling to
adjacent leaves to feed. Immediately after molting to the nal

instar, the caterpillars are various shades of brown, green, and
pale blue dorsally and dorsolaterally, with shades of white
and pink spiracularly to ventrolaterally. Within a day, they
become darker overall, turning to shades of brown.
The Mygona irmina caterpillar has a dark brown

To date, fth instars have not been observed in the eld, but their to black head and well developed but rounded
and curved scoli. Its body shape is slightly
distinctive, dark coloration suggests they rest somewhere other attened (trapezoidal in cross section). The body
than on host plant leaves or stems. The full cycle from egg to ground color is predominantly brown, with
darker areas forming distinct dorsal chevrons,
butter y takes between 102 and 109 days. Adults y rapidly over each highlighted with small, green ecking.

bamboo-growing areas, usually on sunny days, and also feed
at mammal droppings.

Actual size