One side makes you taller: a mushroom–eating butterfly caterpillar (Lycaenidae) in Costa Rica

By

Nishida, Kenji
Robbins, Robert K

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2020-11-11

Original Publication

Neotropical Biology and Conservation

Volume

15

Series / Issue

Issue: 4

Pages

463--470

Subjects

Detritivory , Electrostrymon , Eumaeini , immature stages , life history , Polyporus

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Brazil Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.15.e57998

 

Abstract

Electrostrymon denariusis the first mushroom-feeding butterfly caterpillar discovered in the New World. It belongs to the Calycopidina, a subtribe of lycaenid butterflies whose caterpillars eat detritus and seeds in the leaf litter.Electrostrymon denariushas not been reared previously, and we illustrate and briefly describe the biology and morphology of its caterpillar and pupa. The significance of this discovery is that it increases the range of organic leaf litter substrates that Calycopidina caterpillars will eat. Increased diet breadth may decrease the likelihood of species extinction.