Cloud-forest
Guides
Callicorini
Eighty-eights and Allies
Callicorini is a tribe of nymphalid butterflies within the subfamily Biblidinae, commonly known as "eighty-eights and allies" due to distinctive wing patterns resembling the numerals "88" in some species. The tribe includes the genus Perisama, a species-rich group predominantly restricted to Neotropical cloud forests in the Andes, as well as Diaethria and related genera. Phylogenetic studies indicate Miocene divergence between major lineages, with subsequent radiation correlated to Andean orogeny. Members exhibit diverse wing color patterns, though these have proven less geographically stable than historically assumed.
Dinocampini
Dinocampini is a tribe of parasitoid wasps within the subfamily Euphorinae of the family Braconidae. Members of this tribe are known to exhibit complex mating behaviors including lek formation, as documented in the recently described species Napo townsendi. The tribe is represented in the Neotropical region, with observations from Ecuadorian cloud forest habitats.
Eumaeini
hairstreaks, elfin butterflies
Eumaeini is a diverse tribe of gossamer-winged butterflies (family Lycaenidae), typically placed in the subfamily Theclinae but sometimes treated as a separate subfamily Eumaeinae. The tribe contains over 1,000 described species, predominantly distributed in the Neotropical realm, with some representatives extending into the Nearctic region and isolated occurrences in the Palearctic. Members are commonly known as hairstreaks or elfin butterflies, characterized by often intricate wing patterns and, in many species, thin tail-like projections on the hindwings. The group has been subject to extensive taxonomic revision due to high species diversity and morphological complexity.
Marpesia zerynthia
Waiter, Waiter Daggerwing
Marpesia zerynthia, commonly known as the waiter or waiter daggerwing, is a Neotropical butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. The species is named for its distinctive wing shape and behavior. Adults are known for gathering in small groups at wet sand and mud to extract moisture and minerals, a behavior called "puddling." The species exhibits a unique thermoregulatory behavior called "pumping," where butterflies rapidly imbibe and expel water. Development from egg to adult takes 32 days or less under favorable conditions.
Microcorsini
Microcorsini is a tribe of tortrix moths in the subfamily Olethreutinae, first described by Kuznetzov in 1970. The tribe was originally erected for four genera in Olethreutinae, later transferred to Tortricinae by the same author in 1973, with subsequent treatments returning it to Olethreutinae. The genus Cryptaspasma is the primary representative, with species distributed across the Neotropical region from Mexico to South America.
Morphini
Morphos and Allies
Morphini is a tribe of nymphalid butterflies within the subfamily Satyrinae, comprising two subtribes: Antirrheina and Morphina. The tribe includes the iconic genus Morpho, known for large butterflies with brilliant metallic blue dorsal wing surfaces, as well as the genera Antirrhea and Caerois. Members are primarily Neotropical in distribution. The group is characterized by substantial body size, with some Morpho species reaching wingspans of four to six inches.
Pieriballia
painted white, viardi white
Pieriballia is a monotypic genus of pierid butterflies erected by Alexander Barrett Klots in 1933. Its sole species, Pieriballia viardi, occurs from Mexico southward through Central and South America to Bolivia and Paraguay. The genus is characterized by moderate size, with wingspans around 57 mm, and association with rainforest and cloud forest habitats. Larval development has been documented on Capparis pseudocacao.
Stenamma
cryptic leaf-litter ants
Stenamma is a genus of cryptic ants in the family Formicidae, subfamily Myrmicinae. The genus was long thought to be restricted to temperate regions, but extensive Neotropical collections have revealed a major radiation in Middle America with 40 recognized species, 33 of them newly described. Species are notably adapted to cool, wet environments at mid to high elevations, where they can become the dominant ant genus in leaf-litter samples—contrary to the typical ant pattern of decreasing diversity with elevation.
Stenamma schmittii
Stenamma schmittii is a species of ant in the genus Stenamma, described by Wheeler in 1903. The genus Stenamma comprises cryptic "leaf-litter" ants found in moderately humid to wet forest habitats across the Holarctic region, Central America, and northwestern South America. Species in this genus are adapted to cool, wet environments at mid to high elevations, often becoming the most common ant genus in cloud forest leaf-litter samples. Stenamma species exhibit diverse life history strategies and nesting behaviors, including the use of clay "door-pebbles" for nest protection in some species.
Symmerista schmidti
Symmerista schmidti is a moth species in the family Notodontidae (prominent moths), described by Miller in 2021. It belongs to the genus Symmerista, which contains several species of caterpillars that serve as hosts for parasitoid wasps, particularly thread-waisted wasps in the genus Ammophila. The genus Symmerista is known for caterpillars that feed on conifer foliage and display cryptic coloration resembling bark or wood.