-Immature stages of Memphis moruus stheno (Prittwittz) were subject of a behavior, biological and morphological study. The morphological study was carried out through observation by stereoscopic microscopy with camera lucida and micrometric lens attached for illustrations and measurements, respectively; and scanning electron microscopy for ultrastructural analysis. Behavioral data were obtained through direct observation in the fi eld and laboratory. Eggs were laid on the underside of leaves of two Lauraceae species. The fi rst to third instars build frass chains, the fourth and the fi fth instars build a conical shelter using a single leaf of the host plant. Before pupation, larvae bend its body ventrally and the pupae are incapable of movement. Descriptions, illustrations and photographs of egg, all fi ve instars and pupa are given. The cephalic morphology and chaetotaxy of fi rst instar were described and illustrated. Results are compared with other Charaxinae immature stages. A variação existente em certas estruturas de insetos indica que estudos do ciclo de vida podem ser importantes para a defi nição de problemas de sistemática em adição a estudos de morfologia pura (Freitas 1991). Imaturos são fontes valiosas de informações para a sistemática de Lepidoptera (Scoble 1992, Freitas & Brown Jr 2004 e muito ainda é necessário saber sobre estes aspectos antes que seja possível resolver a sistemática de Anaeini (Rydon 1971). O presente estudo apresenta aspectos da biologia e descreve detalhadamente a morfologia externa dos imaturos e a quetotaxia da larva de primeiro ínstar de M. moruus stheno.

Feltia submontana (Köhler, 1961) is redescribed based on specimens from Northwestern Argentina and Central and Southeastern Brazil. Taxonomic comments, photographs of the adults, characters of taxonomic importance, and illustrations of structures of the labial palpus, legs, and male and female genitalia are provided. The species is compared with similar-looking and supposedly closely related species, such as F. hispidula (Guenée, 1852) and F. lilacina (Zerny, 1916). The species, originally described for Argentina, is reported for Brazil for the first time. Most Brazilian specimens come from the "Cerrado" but also from Southeastern Atlantic Forests. The life cycle of F. submontana specimens collected in Planaltina, Distrito Federal, Brazil, is described; the species probably has only a single generation per year and imagines are on the wing in the late autumn and early winter months; the last instar prepupa and pupa pass through aestival diapause. The abundance of F. submontana relative to other species of Agrotis Ochsenheimer, 1816, and Feltia Walker, 1856, in the above-cited locality is accessed through 4 years of standardized collecting with light trap; the species is the second most abundant species of these genera in the area, with about one fifth of the captures, second only to A. ipsilon (Hufnagel, 1766), with about two thirds of the captures, and about two times more abundant than F. subterranea (Fabricius, 1794); the latter two are regarded as important pest species in South America.

A new species of Taygetis Hübner, [1819] (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae) from southeastern Brazil is described: Taygetis drogoni sp. n. In addition, T. servius Weymer, 1910 and T. fulginia d’Almeida, 1922 are resurrected from synonymy and a taxonomic discussion on the species T. ypthima Hübner, [1821] and T. rectifascia Weymer, 1907 is provided. A dichotomous key for the species is also provided.

Feltia subterranea (Fabricius), commonly known as the granulate cutworm, is a common species of owlet moths (Noctuidae) of major agricultural importance, widely distributed in Nearctic and Neotropical regions. This study was conducted to determine the species biological parameters, gather information about its larval host plants, and assess the agricultural significance of this species in the Americas. The viability of the egg, larval, pupal stages, and prepupal period was 98, 98, and 100%, respectively, under laboratory conditions. The average duration of the egg, larval, pupal stages, and prepupal period was 3, 17, 4, and 13 d, respectively. All laboratory-reared larvae developed through five instars. The growth ratio was 1.93 for females and 1.85 for males. The duration of the larval stage was significantly longer in females than in males from the fourth instar. The duration of the pupal stage was significantly shorter in females than in males. When larval and pupal stage durations were combined, there were no significant differences in total development time as a function of sex. In total, 159 botanical taxa belonging to 41 families were recorded as host species for F. subterranea. The families with the greatest number of host species were Fabaceae (22), Poaceae (19), Asteraceae (16), Brassicaceae (13), Solanaceae (12), Amaranthaceae (7), Cucurbitaceae (7), and Malvaceae (5). It is noteworthy that the large number of native weeds used by F. subterranea as host plants could represent a significant source of infestation of crops in the agricultural landscape.

The biology and the external morphology of Memphis appias (Hübner) immature stages collected on Croton floribundus (Euphorbiaceae) in various localities in the state of Paraná, Brazil, are described. Morphological descriptions and illustrations are given, based upon observations through stereoscopic and optic microscopes attached to camera lucida. Results are compared and discussed with immature stages of other species of Fountainea and Memphis known to date.

ABSTRACT. Exoskeleton morphology of the adult of Memphis moruus stheno (Pritwittz) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Charaxinae). This study is intended to allow further comparative morphological studies on the Neotropical Charaxinae. Memphis moruus stheno (Prittwitz, 1865) is the second species of Anaeini and the first in the genus Memphis to have its morphology published in detail. The external morphology is presented with descriptions, line drawings and scan electron microscopy of the head and its appendages, cervix, thorax and its appendages, abdomen and both male and female genital armatures. Memphis moruus stheno is compared with a species of its closely related genus Zaretis Hübner, [1819].

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Lepidoptera is one of the four megadiverse insect orders, comprising butterflies and moths. In Brazil, the bulk of knowledge about the butterfly fauna is restricted to some areas in the southeast of the country, with large gaps of knowledge in other areas. The state of Mato Grosso is one of the largest states in Brazil, and holds three of the main Brazilian biomes: Amazon rain forest, Cerrado and Pantanal. However, knowledge about Mato Grosso butterflies is fragmented and restricted to a few localities, and information is scattered in various sources. The aim of this study is to assemble the biodiversity information of the butterfly fauna of the state of Mato Grosso based on historical and recent literature data and collections carried out in the southwest of the state from 2007–2009. Records without precise locality data or taxonomic information were not included. Species identification was based on literature and comparison with specimens in collections; higher and species-level taxonomy were updated based on the Neotropical Checklist of Hesperioidea and Papilionoidea and recent phylogenetic and revisionary taxonomic works. In total, 901 species were recorded in 2,820 occurrence records. This represents 148 species of Hesperiidae, 29 Papilionidae, 28 Pieridae, 77 Lycaenidae, 238 Riodinidae, and 381 Nymphalidae. Of these, 207 species records are from the type specimens of species described in the state. Based on the results and literature records for other Brazilian states and biomes, probably the figures for Mato Grosso are underestimated, particularly in the families Hesperiidae, Lycaenidae and Riodinidae, in that order. Future collecting efforts should be directed towards certain areas of the state, especially in less sampled areas and biomes, as the north of the state and Pantanal.