Immature stages of Callimormus saturnus (Herrich-Schäffer, 1869) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae, Hesperiinae, Hesperiini, Moncina): biology, morphology and behaviour

The biology, morphology, and behaviour of the immature stages of Callimormus saturnus (Herrich-Schäffer, 1869) are described from eggs and larvae collected in two areas in the Caatinga biome, Northeast region of Brazil. The larvae of C. saturnus go through five larval instars with a development time ranging between 28 and 33 days. The eggs are dome-shaped and are laid singly on the adaxial region of the leaves of the host plant, Panicum trichoides Sw. (Poaceae). The larvae are green, with head coloration varying among the different instars, and they construct three types of shelters: a one-cut shelter (Greeney’s type 4), built by the first instar larva; a two-cut shelter (Greeney’s type 5), built by the second instar larva; and no-cut shelters (Greeney’s type 1), built by the larvae of the remaining instars. Considering the lack of information about the morphology and behaviour of the larvae of Callimormus species, our study represents an important step towards understanding the natural history of species in this genus, contributing essentially to its taxonomy, the establishment of phylogenetic relationships, and the conservation of skippers in general.