About Godyris zavaleta (Hewitson, 1854)
Godyris zavaleta, commonly known as the Zavaleta glasswing, is a butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae. This species ranges from Costa Rica to southern Peru. Its natural habitat includes lowland and mid-elevation rainforests, found at altitudes up to 900 meters. Adult Zavaleta glasswings visit the flowers of Epidendrum panniculatum. Adult males of the species collect pyrrolizidine alkaloids from plants in the genera Heliotropium, Tournefourtia, Myosotis, Eupatorium, Neomiranda and Senecio. This sequestered alkaloid makes the species toxic, which helps deter predation by birds. The larvae of Godyris zavaleta feed on Solanum species, including Solanum brenesii, and have also been recorded feeding on Cestrum nocturnum.
