Official Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society of Africa
Metamorphosis Volume 9 (1998), Metamorphosis Volume 9, Issue 3: 105 - 123
Publication Date : 1998-09-30
Author/s : Mark C. Williams and J. F. Putterill

Title :

The behaviours and morphology of the pre-imaginal stages of Iolaus (Iolaphilus) trimeni Wallengren (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

Abstract :

Oviposition behaviours of females of lolaus trimeni Wallengren were studied in the Magaliesberg, South Africa, and adults were reared from collected eggs.  Pre-imaginal stages were studied by means of dissecting and scanning electron microscopy.  Eggs were laid, usually singly, on Tapinanthus rubromarginatus (Loranthaceae), a hemiparasite of mainly Protea caffra (Proteaceae).  Larvae took 10 days to hatch and completed four instars in 18 days.  In the first to larval instars troughs were eaten out of the leaf surface, thereafter larvae fed from the edges.  The pupal stage lasted 14 days.  Eggs were covered with a sticky yellow substance that may protect them from parasitoid attack.  Hair-like (primary) setae and discoid (secondary) setae were present in the first instar larva, but only discoid setae in subsequent larval instars.  Perforated cupola organs were present in all larval instars and in pupae.  The dorsal nectar organ was present in all larval instars and in pupae.  The dorsal nectar organ was present from the second larval instar and tentacle organs in the third and fourth.  Two specialized types of setae, not found in the larva, occurred on the pupal surface.  The shape and surface sculpturing of the egg were very different from those of other subgenera of lolaus from which the egg is known.  The discoid larval setae were similar to those of species in the subgenera Epamera and Stugeta.

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Keywords:

lolaus, lolaphilus, host-plants, ovipostion, egg, larva, pupa, immaturestages, SEM, South Africa.

Citation :

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