Butterflies of the
Amazon and Andes
Curved-bar Grass Yellow
Eurema daira
GODART, 1819
Family - PIERIDAE
subfamily - COLIADINAE
Eurema daira lydia, Arrierito Piha reserve, Colombia
� Adrian Hoskins
Introduction
The genus Eurema has a worldwide
distribution, with 19 species found in the neotropical region.
On the upperside
some species such as albula have a pure
white or whitish ground colour, but the males of most others are
usually some shade of yellow, with a black apex and wing borders.
The females of all species tend to be paler, with narrower borders.
The wing shape varies according to species - some have very rounded
wings, while others such as salome have
a squarish apex, and have the hindwings drawn out to form a short
tail.
The upperside forewings of male Eurema daira
are yellowish, with a broad blackish-brown apex, and a broad
straight blackish bar along the inner margin ( dorsum ). The
hindwings of the male are white, with a broad dark brown border.
This species can easily be confused with
elathea, but the latter has a straight bar on the forewings,
rather than the curved bar of daira.
Females of both species lack the bar. They have white forewings and
hindwings, both with broad dark borders.
Eurema daira is distributed from the
USA to Peru. It also occurs on most Caribbean islands.
Habitats
Like most other Eurema species this
butterfly breeds in disturbed semi-open forest edge habitats, which
may include roadsides, riverbanks, secondary forest and farmland. It
occurs at altitudes between sea level and about 1400m.
Lifecycle
To be completed.
Adult behaviour
This species is usually encountered as colonies of several dozen
individuals, which can be seen fluttering slowly amongst low herbage
in disturbed forest edge habitats. Both sexes nectar at low growing
flowers.
|