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

• Kenji Nishida ^[1] ; Robert K. Robbins ^[2]
  1. [1] Universidad de Costa Rica

     Universidad de Costa Rica

     Hospital, Costa Rica

     
  2. [2] Smithsonian Institution. Washington, USA
• Localización: Neotropical Biology and Conservation, ISSN 1809-9939, Vol. 15, Nº. 4, 2020, págs. 463-470
• Idioma: inglés
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Un lado te hace más alto: una oruga mariposa que come hongos (Lycaenidae) en Costa Rica
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• Resumen

  • Electrostrymon denarius is 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 denarius has 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.