Butterflies of the
Amazon and Andes
Straight-barred Grass Yellow
Eurema elathea
CRAMER, 1777
Family - PIERIDAE
subfamily - COLIADINAE
Eurema elathea vitellina, Santa Fe de
Antioquoia, 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 some shade of yellow with a black apex and wing borders.
Females tend to be paler with narrower borders. The shape of the
wings varies according to species - some have 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 elathea
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 daira,
but the latter has a slightly curved bar on the forewings, rather
than the straight bar of elathea.
Females of both species lack the bar. They have white forewings and
hindwings, both with broad dark borders.
Eurema elathea occurs from the USA to
Paraguay, and is also present on most Caribbean islands.
Habitats
Like most other Eurema species this
butterfly breeds in disturbed semi-open forest edge habitats,
including roadsides, riverbanks, secondary forest and farmland. It
occurs at altitudes between sea level and about 1800m.
Lifecycle
The larval foodplants are Zornia and
Stylosanthes ( Fabaceae ).
Adult behaviour
This species is usually encountered as colonies comprising of dozens
or hundreds of individuals, which can be seen fluttering slowly
amongst low herbage in disturbed forest edge habitats.
Both sexes nectar at low growing flowers and at
Lantana bushes. Unlike other Eurema
species, the males of elathea do not
normally mud-puddle or visit river beaches.
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