Introduction
The Morphinae comprises of about 140-150 neotropical species, of which 93 are included within the tribe Brassolini. Of these 73 are placed in the Brassolina – a subtribe including the genera Brassolis, Blepolenis, Caligo, Caligopsis, Catoblepia, Dasyophthalma, Dynastor, Mielkella, Eryphanis, Penetes, Mimoblepia, Opoptera, Opsiphanes, Orobrassolis and Selenophanes. All Brassolines are crepuscular or nocturnal in behaviour, although a few species also fly by day in the darkest areas of the forest.
The genus Opsiphanes comprises of 11 species distributed variously from Mexico to Paraguay and Argentina. The butterflies are characterised by having a stout thorax and abdomen, large eyes and sturdy antennae. The costa is strongly curved, and the forewing termen is slightly concave. In all species the upperside wings are dark brown in colour with a diagonal orange or yellowish band on the forewings. The undersides are an earthy brown hue. There are dark striations on the outer half of the wings, and heavy marbling at the base. On the hindwings there is a prominent ocellus within which there is a white crescent, and there is a smaller almost circular ocellus near the tornus.
Opsiphanes quiteria is distributed from Mexico to Brazil. There are 13 named subspecies.
Habitats
This species is found in rainforest and cloudforest, at elevations up to about 1800m.
Lifecycle
To be completed.
Adult behaviour
Opsiphanes fly mainly at dusk and dawn. They are usually encountered in two’s and three’s in the company of Eryphanis, Selenophanes, Narope, Prepona and Memphis species, feeding at rotting fruit on the forest floor. They also feed at decomposing fruit in the canopy, and occasionally at peccary dung or urine.