Medina, M. C.;Robbins, R. K.;Lamas, G.;Wilson, D. E.;Sandoval, A.
Vertical stratification of flight by Ithomiinae butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) at Pakitza, Manu National Park, Peru
Manu: The biodiversity of southeastern Peru
1997
Book Section
211-216
Smithsonian Institution and Editorial Horizonte
Lima
Parque Nacional del Manu Pakitza Ithomiinae animals invertebrates insects arthropods butterflies inventories animal behavior habitat use morphology canopy small spatial scales Madre de Dios Bibliography
In samples of ithomiine butterflies collected with insect nets, flying height was correlated with wing pattern and wing length, but not with sex or time of day. Wing pattern and length were also correlated with each other, so that larger, tiger-patterned ithomiines tended to fly higher in the forest than did smaller, transparent patterned individuals. Since samples from traps showed that same correlation between wing pattern and size, this result was not likely to be a result of bias in sampling methods. Vertical stratification by wing has been previously explained in terms of predator avoidance strategies. We suggest that stratification by wing length may be related to differences in flight behavior (e.g., flight distance, time aloft) at different strata.