Sedge feeders: early-stage biology of five Satyrinae butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) associated with Cyperaceae in southeastern Peru

We describe the life cycles of four Neotropical satyr species feeding on Cyperaceae (sedges) in southeastern Peru: Chloreuptychia chlorimene, Erichthodes antonina, Modica myncea, and Pierella hyalinus. We report two sedge species, Scleria secans and a second unidentified Scleria species as natural host plants for these butterflies; we also report the latter as serving as the host plant for a fifth satyr species, Magneuptychia libye, for which the immature stages have been documented but for which this plant was not known as a natural host. Cyperaceae (sedges) are not commonly reported as host plants within the nymphalid butterfly subfamily Satyrinae, making this an interesting finding from both ecological and evolutionary perspectives. The larvae of all studied species exhibit cryptic coloration, suggesting possible adaptations to their host plants. Knowledge of the immature stages and host plant associations of the species here described may contribute to clarifying phylogenetic relationships within the group, as well as provide a foundation for future studies across multiple disciplines.