EARLY STAGES AND NATURAL HISTORY OF MORPHO MENELAUS AMATHONTE DEYROLLE, 1860 AND MORPHO HELENOR MARINITA BUTLER, 1872 (NYMPHALIDAE: MORPHINAE) FROM COSTA RICA

摘要

The early stages of M. helenor marinita and M. menelaus amathonte are described for the first time in detail. A M. h. marinita female was caught from El Rodeo of San Jose, in order to obtain its offspring. From egg laying to emergence, an individual of this species took 175 days on Lonchocarpus oliganthus (Fabaceae). It presented a fifth instar diapause of more than two months and its coloration is slightly different from other M. helenor subspecies early stage descriptions. AM. m. amathonte female was caught from Rincon de la Vieja volcano, also in order to obtain its offspring. From egg laying to emergence, on Pterocarus officionalis (Fabaceae) an individual of this species took 134 days. Color pictures of each instar of the larvae for both species were taken, as well as the egg and pupa. Biogeography and taxonomy trends are discussed for each species in order to enhance the early stages characters significance.