The natural history and multitrophic ecological network of the highly restricted butterfly Catasticta truncata (Lepidoptera Pieridae) from urban areas of Loja, Ecuador.

This article focuses on the natural history and multitrophic ecological interactions of the highly restricted Andean butterfly species Catasticta truncata in the urban green areas of Loja, southern Ecuador. The study identifies its host plant as the aerial-stem hemiparasitic mistletoe Phoradendron nervosum, which parasitizes Salix humboldtiana (Humboldt's willow), and provides detailed descriptions of the butterfly’s immature stages. It documents ecological interactions involving four trophic levels, including a predator (the assassin bug Ambastus villosus), a parasitoid wasp (Ichneumonidae), and, for the first time in the genus Catasticta, a hyperparasitoid wasp (Pediobius sp., Eulophidae). The findings highlight the butterfly’s ecological role in urban ecosystems and suggest its potential as a flagship species for local conservation efforts aimed at preserving urban biodiversity in Loja.