Introduction
Adelpha butterflies are colloquially known as ‘Sisters’. They are reminiscent of the White Admirals (Limenitis) of Eurasia, and share a fondness for flitting gracefully around the lower branches of trees in the dappled sunlight of the forest.
There are 85 known species of Adelpha, all except two confined to Central and South America. They are characterised by a distinctive black marbled pattern on a dark brown ground colour, with a broad orange or white band on the forewings. This band extends vertically down to the tornus of the hindwings in the vast majority of species.
While it is easy to recognise the genus, determining the individual species can be very difficult—a problem exacerbated by misidentified museum specimens and mislabelled illustrations in many entomological books. The only reliable identification resource is “The genus Adelpha” by Keith Willmott. Accurate identification requires meticulous examination of the configuration of the orange markings in the subapical area on the forewing, and of the precise shape of the vertical bands. It is also essential in most cases to examine the patterning on the underside.
Adelpha saundersii occurs from Colombia to Bolivia.
Habitats
This is a butterfly of the pre-montane cloudforests, found at elevations between about 1000-2300m on the eastern slopes of the Andes.
Lifecycle
I have no data specific to saundersii. The following generalizations apply to the genus Adelpha: The eggs of most species are white or pale green, and are laid singly on leaves of the foodplants. These include plants from families such as Rubiaceae, Moraceae, Urticaceae, and others. The young larvae nibble away at the tips of leaves, leaving the midrib projecting. They construct a chain of frass along the midrib and rest at the end of it. The frass chains act as a deterrent to ants, spiders, and parasitoids. When fully grown, the larvae are cryptically coloured and resemble bird droppings, mossy twigs, or bits of curled up dead leaf. They have 2 rows of conspicuous spines along their backs. The pupae are suspended by the cremaster and are sometimes decorated with numerous spikes and projections.
Adult behaviour
This species is usually encountered singly and appears to be localized in distribution. It has a slow and graceful flight. Males probably spend most of their time high in the canopy but occasionally appear on damp tracks and sunlit forest roads, alighting to imbibe moisture from damp soil.
