NOTES ON THE LIFE CYCLE AND 
NATURAL HISTORY OF 
DISMORPHIA VIRGO (LEPIDOPTERA: PIERIDAE: 
DISMORPHIINAE) IN COSTA RICA* 
By Allen M. Young 
Department of Biology, Lawrence University 
Appleton, Wisconsin 5491 1 
This paper summarizes the life cycle and some aspects of natural 
history of the tropical pierid, Dismorphia virgo (Dismorphiinae) in 
Costa Rica. The precise taxonomic status of the butterfly in Central 
America has not been established, and it may represent a variable 
northern isolate of the common South American D. critomedia. 
Therefore, independent of whether the Central American form dis- 
cussed in this paper has achieved full species status as the more north- 
ern virgo or is a subspecies or variety of critomedia , evolving to- 
wards species status, this paper provides new information on the biol- 
ogy of the butterfly in Costa Rica. The establishment of precise 
taxonomic position awaits further study, and for the present purpose, 
I refer to the butterfly as D. virgo . 
Methods 
Field observations were conducted during June-September 1971 at 
two localities in the central Cordillera (“Meseta Central” ) of Costa 
Rica: (1) Bajo la Hondura (San Jose Province) on the Pacific 
side, and (2) Cuesta Angel (Heredia Province) on the Caribbean 
side. Both localities are characterized by montane tropical wet forest 
(800-1000 m elev.). Observations, including searches for larval host 
plants, were made in forest clearings associated with paths and river 
edges. A total of 32 days were spent in field observation at Bajo la 
Hondura and 27 days were spent at Cuesta Angel; both localities 
were never visited the same day. Since many days were spent study- 
ing D. virgo at each locality, it was possible to obtain quantitative 
information in the sense of making repeated observations under 
known field conditions. Furthermore, usually between 4 and 6 hours 
were spent daily in the field. 
Observations or field studies consisted of : ( 1 ) description of life 
cycle, including recording of host plants and estimation of develop- 
mental time, (2) studies of larval behavior, and (3) studies of adult 
behavior. 
* Manuscript received by the editor September 14, 1972 
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