Immature Stages of the Neotropical Butterfly, Dynamine agacles agacles Author(s): Luis Anderson Ribeiro Leite, Mirna Martins Casagrande, Olaf Hermann Hendrik Mielke and André Victor Lucci Freitas Source: Journal of Insect Science, 12(37):1-12. 2012. Published By: University of Wisconsin Library DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1673/031.012.3701 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1673/031.012.3701 BioOne (www.bioone.org) is a nonprofit, online aggregation of core research in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences. BioOne provides a sustainable online platform for over 170 journals and books published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses. Your use of this PDF, the BioOne Web site, and all posted and associated content indicates your acceptance of BioOne’s Terms of Use, available at www.bioone.org/page/terms_of_use. Usage of BioOne content is strictly limited to personal, educational, and non-commercial use. Commercial inquiries or rights and permissions requests should be directed to the individual publisher as copyright holder. BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research. Journal of Insect Science: Vol. 12 | Article 37 Leite et al. Immature stages of the Neotropical butterfly, Dynamine agacles agacles Luis Anderson Ribeiro Leite1a*, Mirna Martins Casagrande1b, Olaf Hermann Hendrik Mielke1c, and André Victor Lucci Freitas2d 1Departamento de Zoologia; Setor de Ciências Biológicas; Universidade Federal do Paraná; C. P.: 19020; 81531- 980, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil 2Departamento de Biologia Animal and Museu de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas; C. P.: 6109; 13083-970, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil Abstract The external morphology of the immature stages of Dynamine agacles agacles (Dalman, 1823) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Biblidinae) is described, including photos, drawings, and scanning electron micrographs. Data on the adult and larval behavior are given based on observations in the host plant Dalechampia triphylla Lam. (Malpighiales : Euphorbiaceae). The results are compared and discussed with other described species of Biblidinae, allowing to make further observations on the natural history and evolution of Dynamine. Resumo A morfologia externa dos imaturos de Dynamine agacles agacles (Dalman, 1823) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Biblidinae) é descrita, incluindo fotos, desenhos e microscopia eletrônica de varredura. Dados sobre o comportamento de adultos e larvas são fornecidos com base em observações na planta hospedeira Dalechampia triphylla Lam. (Malpighiales : Euphorbiaceae). Os resultados são comparados e discutidos com outras espécies descritas de Biblidinae, permitindo fazer novas observações sobre a história natural e evolução de Dynamine. Keywords: bionomy, chaetotaxy, life cycle, Papilionoidea Correspondence: a [email protected], b [email protected], c [email protected], d [email protected], *Corresponding author Editor: Carla Penz was Editor of this paper. Received: 4 May 2011, Accepted: 19 July 2011 Copyright : This is an open access paper. We use the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license that permits unrestricted use, provided that the paper is properly attributed. ISSN: 1536-2442 | Vol. 12, Number 37 Cite this paper as: Leite LAR, Casagrande MM, Mielke OHH, Freitas AVL. 2012. Immature stages of the Neotropical butterfly, Dynamine agacles agacles. Journal of Insect Science 12:37 available online: insectscience.org/12.37 Journal of Insect Science | www.insectscience.org 1 Journal of Insect Science: Vol. 12 | Article 37 Leite et al. Introduction directly affecting flowers and seed production (Neild 1996). Biblidinae is a well defined clade of Nymphalidae, and their members are Considering the importance of early stages as distributed primarily in the Neotropical sources of characters for establishing region, with some species also present in the phylogenetic hypothesis and for taxonomic Paleotropics (Munroe 1949; Van Son 1979; studies in higher Lepidoptera taxa (Freitas et Ackery 1988). Besides being conspicuous and al. 1997; Greeney and Gerardo 2001; well represented in most Neotropical biomes, Hasenfuss and Kristensen 2003; Casagrande many Biblidinae genera are still poorly and Mielke 2005; Souza et al. 2006; Freitas known, with early stages described for just a and Brown Jr. 2004, 2008; Dias et al. 2010a, small fraction of taxa in the larger genera 2010b), the present study has the objective of (Freitas et al. 1997; Barbosa et al. 2010). presenting detailed morphological and behavioral descriptions of the immature stages Dynamine Hübner, [1819] is the richest within of Dynamine agacles agacles, aiming to Biblidinae, with 41 described species (Lamas contribute to the knowledge of Neotropical 2004; Brévignon 2008; Willmott and Hall Biblidinae. 2010). Nevertheless, general information for most species in this genus is lacking, and is Materials and Methods mostly restricted to geographic distribution, partial descriptions of immature stages, and Adults and immatures were studied in three host–plant records (DeVries 1987; Doyle localities in Brazil: (1) Parque Barigüi (25º 1979; Neild 1996; Freitas et al. 1997; 25’ S, 49º 18’ W, 911 m), (2) Campus of the Beccaloni et al. 2008). Universidade Federal do Paraná (25º 26’ S, 49º 13’ W, 919 m), Curitiba, Paraná, South Dynamine agacles (Dalman, 1823) Brazil, and (3) Reserva Florestal da Santa (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Biblidinae) is a Genebra (22º 49’ S, 47º 6’ W, 650 m, April common species with a range extending from 1997), Campinas, São Paulo, Southeastern Costa Rica to South Argentina (Neild 1996). Brazil. According to Lamas (2004), two subspecies are recognized: Dynamine agacles core Immatures and the host plant Dalechampia Röber, 1915, occurring from Central America triphylla (Euphorbiaceae) were brought to to Venezuela and Colombia, and Dynamine laboratory. Eggs were placed in Petri dishes agacles agacles (Dalman, 1823), (Figures 1- and observed daily until eclosion. Newly– 4), distributed throughout the remainder of hatched larvae were reared individually in South America (DeVries 1987; Neild 1996; transparent 250 mL plastic cages. Branches of Lamas 2004). The known host plants for D. D. triphylla with inflorescences were offered agacles are scandent vines in the genus ad libitum, and larvae were checked daily for Dalechampia (Euphorbiaceae) (DeVries 1987; food replacement and cleaning when Beccaloni et al. 2008), and larvae feed on the necessary (or when all bracts were consumed). involucral bracts of mature and developing Images of the eggs and early instars were flowers, and also inside the pseudanthial taken through a digital camera attached to the inflorescences, feeding even in the ovaries, stereomicroscope using automontage Journal of Insect Science | www.insectscience.org 2 Journal of Insect Science: Vol. 12 | Article 37 Leite et al. technique, in a Leica® MZ16 Pe. Jesus Santiago Moure – Lepidoptera of the (www.leica.com) and software Syncroscopy® Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Auto–Montage Pro® version 5.03.0040 Paraná, Brazil, and Museu de Zoologia “Adão (www.syncroscopy.com). José Cardoso”, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. Immatures for morphological analysis (at least three of each stage) were killed in boiling Results water, fixed in Kahle–Dietrich solution, and after three days transferred to 70% ethanol. Egg (Figures 5-7, 28, 29). Diameter 0.6 mm, Shed head capsules and exuviae were height 0.5 mm (n = 14). Coloration uniformly collected and preserved dry for measurements. greenish yellow; truncate, flatten in the base, Measurements, drawings, and general aspects with maximum diameter in the basal third, of morphology were done in a Leica® MZ16 progressively narrowing toward the convex stereomicroscope equipped with a micropilar region in the apex; decorated with micrometric scale. Head capsule width of 14 vertical ribs forming prominent keels, and larvae was the distance between the most ca. 16-18 horizontal ribs visible only when external stemmata; maximum total length for crossing the vertical keels. Duration 7-8 days both larvae and pupae corresponded to the (n = 7). distance from the head to the posterior margin of the tenth abdominal segment in dorsal view First instar (Figures 8, 9, 18-24, 30-37, 40, (as in Freitas 2007). 43). Head capsule width 0.45 mm, height 0.38 mm (n = 3). Maximum body length 2.4 mm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was Duration: 4 days (n = 10). Head pale brownish conducted using a Jeol® JSM–6360LV yellow, rounded and smooth, with pale yellow microscope (www.jeol.com). Samples were setae and without ornamentation; labrum prepared in accordance with the following bilobed; six dark stemmata disposed protocol: critical point dried in a Bal–tec® semicircularly; stemma 3 reduced. Body, CPD030 Critical Point Dryer prothoracic and anal shields pale yellow. (www.precisionballs.com) and attached with Laterally projected spiracles with a smooth double stick tape to aluminum stubs; surface, rounded and bigger on the thorax gold/palladium coated with a Bal–tec® while elliptical and smaller on the abdominal SCD030 Sputter Coater. segments (Figures 36, 37). Legs and prolegs pale yellow; prolegs with uniordinal crochets Terminology for early stage descriptions (six in A3-A6 and eight in anal prolegs). Body followed