Ectima lirides, Rio Madre de Dios, Peru – Adrian Hoskins
Introduction
The Biblidinae are known for their diverse but simple and often colourful patterns. In the neotropics their representatives include the Ageroniina – a subtribe which includes the Hamadryas Crackers, the Ectima Banners, the Panacea Flashers and the Painted Beauty Batesia hypochlora.
Ectima and Hamadryas have much in common, not least their habit of basking head-downwards on tree trunks with their wings held flattened against the bark. In common with the females of most Hamadryas species, Ectima have a white diagonal band across the forewings, but Hamadryas are larger, and have very intricate calico patterns on the upper surface, unlike the much plainer Ectima.
There are 4 Ectima species – erycinoides from Central America, thecla from southern Amazonia, lirides from Peru and Bolivia, and iona which is distributed from Colombia to the Mato Grosso.
Habitats
This species is confined to primary rainforest at altitudes between about 200-800m.
Lifecycle
The eggs are white and laid singly on new growth leaves of Dalechampia and other Euphorbiaceae.When fully grown the larva is black and covered with branched spines.
Adult behaviour
The butterflies are usually encountered as singletons. They bask in the characteristic Hamadryas / Ectima fashion, head-downwards on tree trunks, either within dense forest or in orchards and other lightly forested habitats. They normally bask at a height of about 4 metres, but can be enticed lower down by applying liquefied plantain or fish paste to trunks at eye-level.