Introduction
The tribe Eudamini includes 44 genera in the Americas, amongst which are the Long-tailed Skippers Urbanus, Chioides and Aguna; and other familiar genera including Phocides, Autochton, Astraptes and Calaenorrhinus.
The genus Astraptes, comprises of 29 large species characterised by having chocolate brown wings with very short stubby tails on the hindwings. Most species have a diagonal hyaline stripe across the forewings and a group of 3 small hyaline spots near the apex. In the majority of species the head, thorax, abdomen and wing bases are covered with long fur-like gleaming metallic blue ( or in the case of talus, green ) scales. Astraptes anaphus however lacks hyaline markings and also lacks the greenish or bluish iridescence of its cogeners.
Astraptes anaphus is a widely distributed species found on the larger islands of the Caribbean, and from the southern USA to Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. There are 5 subspecies. The yellow patches on the hindwings only occur in subspecies anneta illustrated above, which occurs from Texas to Peru, and in the nominate subspecies anaphus which is found in Surinam, Guyana and northern Brazil.
Habitats
This species occurs in forested habitats at altitudes between sea level and about 2000 metres.
Lifecycle
To be completed.
Adult behaviour
The butterflies have a very rapid whirring flight, often circling widely at a height of about 2 metres. They commonly settle on living foliage or dead leaf litter to feed at bird droppings. When feeding they exude droplets of water from their abdomens, dropping or squirting it onto the bird droppings to dissolve and liquefy them, enabling the juices to be sucked up using the long proboscis, which is extended under the abdomen.
