"A Girl of the Limberlost"

[Pierre Zagatti]

With their larvae feeding on various palm trees or banana plants,
the Brassolids (namely Nymphalidae Brassolinae) are probably
susceptible to be moved everywhere in the world.
Moreover they can resist to (rather) cold temperatures. There is
a butterfly farm not far from my home. Although the temperature
is normally 25°C, they lower it to 15°C during three months in winter
(for plant health). All larvae in permanent rearing have to be removed
from the main greenhouse to be placed in small, heated rooms during
this period. All but the Brassolids (several species of Opsiphanes and
Caligo) which not only resist to these temperatures, but show stronger
vitality after a 3 month quiescence.

Mike Quinn wrote:

> ... in Pharr, Texas here in the Rio Grande
> Valley. I didn't know what it was and since the the antennae were missing,
> I actually thought it might have been a moth. The specimen turned out to be
> a Brassolid, *Opsiphanes boisduvalii*. Not only is this the first US record
> for this species, it represents the first US record for the family too!
> ...

Pierre ZAGATTI
INRA Unite de Phytopharmacie et Mediateurs Chimiques
78026 Versailles Cedex
FRANCE
Tel: (33) 1 30 83 31 18
e-mail zagatti at versailles.inra.fr
http://www.jouy.inra.fr/papillon/