Pseudolycaena marsyas - Turquesa / Marsyas Hairstreak (Linnaeus, 1758)

Lepidoptera: Bombycina: Papilionoidea: Lycaenidae: Theclinae: Eumaeini

Wingspan: 40mm to 50mm.
Other names: Cambridge Blue, Giant Hairstreak

The adults are found in weedy areas and are often sighted in gardens in anthropic regions. This includes forests and woods. The larvae are found wherever the host plants are and the species occur. This Pseudolycaena marsyas was sighted in a garden in a backwater town.

These butterflies are distributed as follows: Brazil, Mexico, Panama and Trinidad-Tobago until Argentina; Saint Vincent; Guyana; Ecuador (Napo, Pastaza) and Northwestern Peru (Huánuco).

They belong in the order Lepidoptera, superfamily Papilionoidea, family Lycaenidae, subfamily Theclinae and tribe Eumaeini.

The curved filamentous extensions on the wings are used to confuse predators and avoid predation. These extensions mimic antennae, fooling predators into thinking that's where the butterfly's head is. Thanks to this defensive mechanism, in a worst case predation scenario, the butterfly will be left with partially damaged wings. The adults oviposit the eggs on the host plants. The larvae are poliphytophagous, and were registered feeding on many plants, including (but not limited to) Asterocarpus, Mangifera indica and Eugenia stipitata. Adults are normally seen feeding on the nectar of various flowers, minerals from the soil and fermenting fruit. The inner wings are colored a metallic blue, which varies in shadings between individuals. They are diurnal. Their wingspan is between 40 and 50mm.