Introduction
The Pyrginae, popularly known as Flats or Spreadwings, are a cosmopolitan subfamily distributed across temperate and tropical habitats throughout the world. In the Americas there are 990 species.
The illustrated butterfly Mylon maimon is a distinctive and easily recognised species. In some reference books it is listed under the invalid synonyms Mylon menander or M. menippus.
The genus Mylon contains 15 known species, all with the same characteristic wing shape and pale greyish-white ground colour. Some species are faintly marked, while others are quite heavily marbled with dark brown.
Mylon maimon is probably the most widespread species, found from Colombia to Bolivia.
Habitats
This species occurs at elevations from sea level to about 1800m, in semi-open situations within forested areas. It is usually seen along wide sunlit tracks, or forest edge habitats.
Lifecycle
When fully grown the larva is dark green with a pair of broken bright yellow sub-dorsal bands. The head is white, with 2 large black spots above, and 3 smaller black spots below. It feeds nocturnally on Hiraea, Tetrapterys, Mascagnia and other Malpighiaceae. It lives solitarily within a leaf shelter constructed by cutting and folding a leaf of the foodplant. The pupa is green, with a pair of fake ocelli on the thorax.
Adult behaviour
Both sexes bask on bushes or low herbage, with wings outspread. Males are seen more frequently, usually when imbibing moisture from around the edges of muddy puddles, or from damp ditch beds where there is a lot of decaying vegetation.