Immature Stages of White Belt Owlet Butterfly Opoptera fruhstorferi (Röber, 1896) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae) and its Natural Enemy, with a Summary of Brassolini Parasitoids
Opoptera Aurivillius, 1882 belongs to the tribe Brassolini and comprises 10 species. The white belt owlet butterfly Opoptera fruhstorferi (Röber, 1896) is endemic to the Atlantic Forest, occurring in the southeast and south regions of Brazil. Morphological studies, including detailed descriptions of immatures and aspects of the natural history of Opoptera, remain poorly documented. This study aims to 1) describe for the first time the morphology of the immature stages of O. fruhstorferi; 2) provide a complete view of its life cycle; 3) report tritrophic plant-host-parasitoid interactions; 4) compile records of Brassolini parasitoids from the literature. These data expand the understanding of the natural history of Opoptera, a genus that still has several gaps to be filled. This study also contributes to the systematics of Neotropical butterflies.
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