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Urban areas as refuges for endemic fauna: description of the immature stages of Catasticta flisa duna (Eitschberger & T. Racheli, 1998) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) and its ecological interactions

Abstract:

We describe for the first time the immature stages of the Ecuadorian endemic urban butterfly, Catasticta flisa duna Eitschberger & Racheli, from Quito, Ecuador. A mistletoe species, Phoradendron nervosum Oliv. (Viscaceae), is identified as the host plant. Phoradendron nervosum is an aerial-stem hemiparasite in the order Santalales that is parasitic on Prunus serotina (Ehrh), a common tree species in the gardens and parks of Quito. We report Podisus sp. (Pentatomidae), a predatory stink bug, as a predator of C. f. duna pupa. Additionally, parasitoid flies (Tachinidae) were obtained from some larvae. We compare the immature stages of C. f. duna and the subspecies C. flisa flisandra Reissinger from Costa Rica, providing for the first-time head chaetotaxy and setal maps for this diverse genus. Finally, we emphasize the importance of urban green spaces which provide habitat for many native species. Such urban oases should be considered as important resources for conservation, whose development and management benefit urban biodiversity and ecological networks, as well as enhancing the quality of life for the city’s human inhabitants.