Male

 

wingspan : 60/75 mm


Podotricha telesiphe is quite common on the Eastern slopes of the Andes from Colombia down to Bolivia (Cochabamba).


as with Heliconius telesiphe there are two forms of Podotricha telesiphe, f. tithraustes, with yellow bands, and f. telesiphe. with white bands on the HW ; and again as with Heliconius telesiphe, the white form lives in the South, from Bolivia to Ecuador, and the yellow form in the North, from Colombia to Ecuador.


the two forms fly together in the 9 de Octubre area. in this 9 de Octubre area we collected two intermediate forms – buff or beige – clearly different from the two traditional forms ; are they cross breeds f. telesiphe x f. tiithraustes ? or do they represent a new form ?


in 2009 we found this form, but also the white form, in the Baños/Puyo Corridor ; so we now have the three forms flying together in the upper rio Pastaza valley, which gives more weight to the croos breed f. telesiphe x f. tiithraustes hypothesis.

Podotricha telesiphe f. a el Retiro
Podotricha telesiphe f. a el Retiro
P. telesiphe, forma blanca y forma intermedia en Machay
P. telesiphe, forma blanca y forma intermedia en Machay
Podotricha telesiphe f. a Machay
Podotricha telesiphe f. a la Qubrada Cugusha
P. t. telesiphe típica
P. t. tithraustes típica
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