Introduction
There are 1100 known species of Satyrinae in the neotropical region. About 570 of these are placed in the subtribe Pronophilina – a diverse group of high altitude cloudforest butterflies, all of which are confined to the neotropical region. The vast majority are found only in the Andes, but 4 species are known from the Atlantic cloudforests of Brazil, and there are a further 6 species that are endemic to Guatemala, Costa Rica or Mexico. More oddly there is one genus Calisto that is found exclusively on the Caribbean islands of Cuba and Hispaniola.
The genus Pseudomaniola comprises 11 largish species distributed variously from Mexico to Bolivia. They are closely allied to Oxeoschistus and at a glance easily confused with them. The uppersides of most Pseudomaniola species are blackish or dark brown and virtually unmarked, but phaselis has a broken band of flame-like orange spots on the forewings, hence the common name Fire-spotted Satyr.
Pseudomaniola phaselis is the commonest and most widely distributed member of the genus, being found from Costa Rica to Bolivia.
Habitats
This is a cloudforest species found at altitudes between about 1000-2200m.
Lifecycle
To be completed.
Adult behaviour
The butterflies are commonly found basking or resting on ferns along cloudforest roadsides. Males visit urine-soaked ground.