Saturday, 17 December 2016

#9 – Chestnut Angle Odontoptilum angulata (Felder, 1862)

#9 – Chestnut Angle Odontoptilum angulata Felder, 1862)

Odontoptilum angulata, the Chestnut Angle or Banded angle, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae and is found in Asia. In India, the butterfly is distributed in South India (Tamil Nadu, Kerala) up to Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh to Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and West Bengal. (Kehimkar, 2008; Sondhi et al., 2013; Varshney & Smetacek, 2015; Saji & Chandrashekharan, 2016). In Manipur, the species is represented by subspecies Odontoptilum angulata angulata Felder, 1862.

Taxonomic position

Class:                     Insecta
Order:                     Lepidoptera
Family:                  Hesperiidae
Subfamily:            Pyrginae
Tribe:                     Tagiadini
Genus:                   Odontoptilum de Nicéville, 1890
Species:                 angulata (Felder, 1862)

An adult Chestnut Angle butterfly from Kongbamaru, Imphal East district near stream. (Photo by: Jatishwor Irungbam)
Description:

Male and female vinaceous-brown, palest on the hindwing. Male, forewing dull chestnut-brown along exterior margin, with a black transverse band one-third from the base; a geminated semi-transparent spot on costa before the apex, surrounded by suffused black; a semi-transparent lunule and a small spot on the lower part of the disc, bordered without by a black band: hindwing with a transverse subbasal, an elbowed discal, and a lower submarginal purplish-white line; apex of wing with suffused black patch and lower marginal blackish pale-bordered spots. Underside brown, forewing suffused with greyish-white at the base; markings as above: hindwing greyish-white, the transverse lines less denned, marginal spots blacker, and a blackish spot near base of wing. Palpi above black. Palpi and body beneath and legs greyish-white. Female paler, marked on upper-and undersides as in male (Watson, 1891).

An adult Chestnut Angle butterfly from Litan, Ukhrul district. (Photo by: Jatishwor Irungbam)
Food Plants:

The larvae of the butterfly feed on the plants of Ceiba sp. (Bombacaceae), Hibiscus tiliaceus, Urena lobata (Malvaceae) and Allophylus cobbe (Sapindaceae) (Kehimkar, 2008). In Singapore, the larva feeds on Commersonia bartramia, Talipariti tiliaceum (Tan, 2008).

An adult Chestnut Angle butterfly from Kongbamaru, Imphal East district. (Photo by: Jatishwor Irungbam)
Habits:

The adults are usually found near its larval food plants, or when feeding along a muddy track or on bird droppings (Tan, 2008). In Himalaya, the adults were seen in the forested hills as well as lowland forest tracts visiting damp patches, partial to animal and bird droppings and comes to flowers too. Not very fond of open sunshine, but usually comes to bask. Flies upto 2000 m in the Himalaya and hills in the northeast India during March, May, August and October (Kehimkar, 2008).

Sightings in Manipur:

The butterfly seems to be common in most of the parts of Manipur. The butterfly has been sighted from many places during the survey.  The butterfly was observed from Singda, Imphal West district; Sadu Chiru, Senapati district; Litan, Ukhrul district; Kongbamaru, Matai, Nongmaiching Reserve Forest, Imphal East district; Yaingangpokpi Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary, Chandel district and Keibul Lamjao National Park, Bishnupur district during March, April, July, August and September.

Reference:

Kehimkar, I. (2008). The Book of Indian Butterflies. Bombay Natural History Society, 497 pp.
Saji, K. and V.K.Chandrashekharan. (2016). Odontoptilum angulata Felder, 1862 – Chestnut Angle. Kunte, K., P. Roy, S. Kalesh and U. Kodandaramaiah (eds.). Butterflies of India, v. 2.24. Indian Foundation for Butterflies. http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/sp/483/Odontoptilum-angulata
Sondhi, S., K. Kunte, G. Agavekar, R. Lovelekar & K. Tokekar. (2013). Butterflies of the Garo Hills. Samrakshan Trust (New Delhi), Titli Trust (Dehradun) and Indian Foundation of Butterflies (Bangaluru). xvi+200 pp.
Tan, H. (2008). Life History of the Chestnut Angle (Odontoptilum angulatum angulatum). Butterflies of Singapore. http://butterflycircle.blogspot.cz/2008/03/life-history-of-chestnut-angle_09.html
Varshney, R. K. & P. Smetacek. (2015). A synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India. Butterfly Research Centre, Bhimtal and Indinov Publishing, New Delhi, ii + 261 pp., 8 pl.
Watson, E. Y. (1891). Hesperiidae Indicae. Vest & Co., Madras.

Thursday, 15 December 2016

#8 – Tabby Pseudergolis wedah (Kollar, 1848)

#8 – Tabby Pseudergolis wedah (Kollar, 1848)

The Tabby Pseudergolis wedah is a species of Nymphalid butterfly found in Asia. In India, it is found along the Himalayas where it is somewhat uncommon and extends into Southeast Asia east to Vietnam. The species is represented by two subspecies. In India, the species is represented by Pseudergolis wedah wedah Kollar, 1844. The butterfly is recorded in India from Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh (Kehimkar, 2008; Gogoi, 2012; Sondhi & Kunte 2016). Varshney & Smetacek (2015) mentions that the butterfly is present in NE India but surprisingly there are no confirm records on the presence of these butterfly in the states of NE India (Assam, Manipur and Tripura) (Gogoi, 2013; Sondhi et al., 2013; Lodh & Agarwala, 2015). Karmakar & Sarkar (2016) in the website Butterflies of India by Indian Foundation for Butterflies displayed the photograph of the butterfly from Alipurduar (West Bengal), Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram.
Taxonomic position
Class:                     Insecta
Order:                     Lepidoptera
Family:                  Nymphalidae
Genus:                   Pseudergolis
Species:                 P. wedah

Description:
The sexes of this butterfly are similar. Golden brown in colour and four dark bar in cell of both wings on upperside. Three dark vertical lines beyond cell on upperside of both wings and a row of black spots between the outer two lines. The underside of the wing is light chocolate brown with violet gloss in colour. Forewing apex has square cut.  (Kehimkar, 2008).

Pseudergolis wedah from Kongbamaru, Imphal East district (Photo by: Jatishwor Irungbam)
Food Plants:
The larvae of these butterfly feed on the leaves of Debregeasia bicolor (Urticaceae) (Kehimkar, 2008).

Habits:
Very active butterfly during the day. Often seen settles on the ground or stones or leaves with open wings near the stream or wet ground.  Flies along the streams in hilly areas. Mostly seen in the Himalayas between 400 and 2000 m from April to December (Kehimkar, 2008).

Pseudergolis wedah in group (Photo by: Baleshwor Soibam) 
Sightings in Manipur:
The butterfly seems to be common in most of the parts of Manipur. The butterfly has been sighted from many places during the study.  The butterfly was observed from Kamjong village, Shirui Hills, Ukhrul district; Kongbamaru, Imphal East district; Sadu Chiru, Ereng, Senapati district; Leimaram, Bishnupur district and  Yaingangpokpi Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary, Chandel district.

Reference:

Gogoi, M.J. (2012). Butterflies (Lepidoptera) of Dibang Valley, Mishmi Hills, Arunachal Pradesh, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(12): 3137–3160.
Gogoi, M.J. (2013). A preliminary checklist of butterflies recorded from Jeypore-Dehing forest, eastern Assam, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 5(2): 3684–3696; doi:10.11609/JoTT.o3022.3684-96.
Karmakar, T.  & V.  Sarkar. (2016). Pseudergolis wedah Kollar, 1844 – Tabby. Kunte, K., P. Roy, S. Kalesh and U. Kodandaramaiah (eds.). Butterflies of India, v. 2.24. Indian Foundation for Butterflies. http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/sp/741/Pseudergolis-wedah [Accessed on December 16, 2016]
Kehimkar, I. (2008). The Book of Indian Butterflies. Bombay Natural History Society, 497 pp.
Lodh, R. & B. K. Agarwala (2015). Inventory of butterfly fauna (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) of Tripura, India, in the Indo-Myanmar biogeographical zone, with records of threatened taxa. Check List 11(2): 1-37. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.15560/11.2.1591
Sondhi, S. & K. Kunte (2016). Butterflies (Lepidoptera) of the Kameng Protected Area Complex, western Arunachal Pradesh, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(8): 9053–9124; http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/jott.2984.8.8.9053-9124
Sondhi, S., K. Kunte, G. Agavekar, R. Lovelekar & K. Tokekar. (2013). Butterflies of the Garo Hills. Samrakshan Trust (New Delhi), Titli Trust (Dehradun) and Indian Foundation of Butterflies (Bangaluru). xvi+200 pp.
Varshney, R. K. & P. Smetacek. (2015). A synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India. Butterfly Research Centre, Bhimtal and Indinov Publishing, New Delhi, ii + 261 pp., 8 pl.

Wednesday, 7 December 2016

#7 - Yellow Pansy Junonia hierta magna (Evans, 1926)

#7 - Yellow Pansy Junonia hierta magna (Evans, 1926)


Junonia hierta, the yellow pansy, is a species of Nymphalid butterfly found in the Palaeotropics. It is usually seen in open scrub and grassland habitats. The species have a very wide distribution from Africa to India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Thailand (Savela 2016).

The species is represented by four subspecies throughout the world. Two subspecies represent in India. In Manipur, Yellow Pansy is represented by subspecies Junonia hierta magna (Evans, 1926).
  • Junonia hierta hierta (Fabricius, 1798) (Throughout India except NE states and Andaman Is., S. Yunnan)
  • Junonia hierta cebrene Trimen, 1870 (Africa-drier parts, Arabia)
  • Junonia hierta paris Trimen, 1887 (Madagascar)
  • Junonia hierta magna (Evans, 1926) (Sikkim to NE India; Andaman Is.)

Taxonomic position

Class:      Insecta
Order:     Lepidoptera
Suborder: Rhopalocera
Family:  Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Tribe:     Junoniini
Genus:   Junonia
Species: hierta 
Subspecies: magna (Evans, 1926)

Description
The butterfly is about 45-60 mm in wingspan and its common throughout its distribution range. Upper forewing and hindwing is yellow with black apex. Upper hindwing bright blue spot at the base. On Upper forewing, large blue-pupilled eyespots in spaces 2 and 5 prominent in female, often absent in male. Hindwing costal and basal areas broadly black. Prominent oval shining blue patch on upper hindwing, larger in the male. Female duller yellow, has two small discal eyespot in spaces 2 and 5 on upper hindwing. Underwing greyish buff finely marked with brown bands and lines. (Kehimkar 2008; Sondhi et al. 2013).

Figure 1. Junonia hierta magna (Evans, 1926) from Shirui Hills, Ukhrul. (Photo by: J.S. Irungbam)
Biology
The larvae of the butterfly feeds on Barleria spp. Hygrophila auriculata and Ruellia prostrata of family Acanthaceae.

Habits
A very active butterfly, flies very close to the ground. Mostly seen during the bright sunny days visiting the flowers in gardens, forest tracks, dry stony riverbeds, uncultivated agricultural fields, scrub forest in the plains and foothills up to 2000m. (Kehimkar 2008; Sondhi et al. 2013).

Figure 2. Junonia hierta magna (Evans, 1926) Photo by: Soibam Baleshwor
Sightings in Manipur
The butterfly has been photographed from Shirui Hills in the Ukhrul district during July 2016. The butterfly has been recorded from the other parts of the Manipur. Some of the locations where butterfly was photographed are from Langol RF, Imphal West; Chalou village, Matai village and Nongmaiching RF, Imphal East; Thongam mondum RF, Thoubal; KLNP and Leimaram, Bishnupur; YLWLS, Chandel and Shirui village and Somsai riverbed, Ukhrul district. The butterfly was seen in Manipur throughout the year.

References
  • Evans, W.H. (1932). The Identification of Indian Butterflies (2nd ed.). Mumbai, India: Bombay Natural History Society.
  • Kehimkar, I. (2008). The Book of Indian Butterflies. Bombay Natural History Society, 497 pp.
  • Savela, M. (2016). Lepidoptera and some other life forms. http://ftp.funet.fi/index/Tree_of_life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/papilionoidea/nymphalidae/nymphalinae/junonia/
  • Sondhi, S., K. Kunte, G. Agavekar, R. Lovelekar & K. Tokekar. (2013). Butterflies of the Garo Hills. Samrakshan Trust (New Delhi), Titli Trust (Dehradun) and Indian Foundation of Butterflies (Bangaluru). xvi+200 pp.
  • Wynter-Blyth, M. A. (1957). Butterflies of the Indian Region. BNHS, Bombay. 523pp.

Sunday, 4 December 2016

#6 - Mixed Punch Dodona ouida Hewitson, 1865

#6 - Mixed Punch Dodona ouida Hewitson, 1865

Dodona ouida, the Mixed Punch, is a small but striking butterfly found in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and central Vietnam that belongs to the Punches and Judies, that is, the family Riodinidae.

Taxonomic position

Class: Insecta
Order:     Lepidoptera
Suborder: Rhopalocera
Family:  Riodinidae
Genus:   Dodona
Species: ouida Hewitson, 1865


 Figure 1. Dodona ouida from Shirui Hills Photographed by: Jatishwor Singh Irungbam
Description
The butterfly is about 40-55 mm in wingspan. Hindwing Tailless, but produced into a broad lobe. In Males, upperside of the wing brown with three oblique orange bands on forewing, hindwing with two postdiscal orange bands and a narrow sub-marginal line. Female is slightly brown and with a dark submarginal line inside. 

Biology
The larvae of the butterfly feeds on Wild Berry Maesa  chisia (Myrsinaceae). 

Habits
A fast flying butterfly, very active during the day, mostly seen basking in the sun with open wing. Males usually visits hill tops. Mostly seen in the wing during April to December between the 1200 to 2400 m altitude. In Nepal D. ouida seen perched in the ridges, especially on the summits and maximum activities during 1100 to 1200 hrs. Mmales rested with wings together on dorsal leaf surfaces from 1 to 3 meters high, but never on the highest branches.
Figure 2. Same individual (Fig 1) Dodona ouida from Shirui Hills Photographed by: Jatishwor Singh Irungbam
Sightings in Manipur
The butterfly has been photographed from Shirui Hills in the Ukhrul district during July 2016. The butterfly was seen sitting on the leaves of plum tree which grows on the backyard of Shirui Guest House.

References
  • Bingham, C. T. (1905). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma Butterflies1 (1st ed.). London: Taylor and Francis, Ltd.
  • Callaghan, C. J. (1997). A Study of the Riodinid Butterflies of the Genus Dodona in Nepal (Riodinidae). Journal of Research on Lepidoptera. 36:1-15.
  • Kehimkar, I. (2008). The Book of Indian Butterflies. Bombay Natural History Society, 497 pp.
  • Ek-Amnuay, P. (2006). Butterflies of Thailand, Vol 2. Bangkok: Baan Lae Suan, 867 pp.
  • Inayoshi, Y. (2016). A Check List of Butterflies in Indo-China. Chiefly from Thailand, Laos & Vietnam. http://yutaka.it-n.jp/rio/8a030001.html [Access on December 4, 2016]

Wednesday, 9 November 2016

#5 - Green Dragontail Lamproptera meges, Zinken,1831

#5 - Green Dragontail Lamproptera meges, Zinken,1831


Lamproptera meges, the Green Dragontail, is a species of swallowtail butterfly (family Papilionidae) found in parts of South Asia and Southeast Asia.  The butterfly is found in northeastern India, in the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Nagaland. It is also found in Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, southern China (including Hainan), Cambodia, peninsular and eastern Malaysia, the Indonesian archipelago, Brunei, and the Philippines. In Indonesia, it is found on the islands of Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Nias, Bangka and Java. In 2006, it was reported from Zhangjiajie of Hunan Province. There are ten subspecies. A specimen from Java is the type species of the genus.

Green Dragontail, Kamjong, Ukhrul Dist. Sept. 2014.
Photo by: Ng. Aomoa
Taxonomic position

Class:     Insecta

Order:     Lepidoptera

Family:  Papilionidae

Genus:   Lamproptera Gray

Species: meges (Zinken, 1831)

Description:
The wingspan of an adult is about 28-38 mm. The butterfly have slightly broader HW then White Dragontail (L. curius), with greenish discal band on both wings, however, the green band usually faded away and turned to be white afterwards in dead specimens. The male of the species is without the scent fold (Ek-Amnuay 2006). Both the sexes are similar (Kehimkar 2008). 

Green Dragontail, Churachandpur dist. Nov. 2015
Photo by: Harmenn H.
Status
The Green Dragontail is not known to be threatened in most of its range but is considered vulnerable in IUCN and in need of protection in peninsular Malaysia. (Collins & Collins 1985)


Habits
Among the smallest of swallowtails in India, the Green Dragontail is usually found singly along open sunlit patches, almost always near streams and water courses. It may also be seen in small groups, usually twos or threes. It flies in an altitude range of 100 to 1,520 metres (330 to 4,990 ft). It flies from April to October. Having much smaller wing size to body length ratio, the butterflies have a whirring flight, rapidly beat their wings and dart back and forth in a manner reminiscent of dragonflies, their long tails acting as rudders. Male dragontails suck up a lot of water from which the dissolved minerals are filtered and the water squirted from the anus. While feeding they vibrate their wings rapidly but pause from time to time. Occasionally, they rest on leaves of bushes with wings outspread and stationary.

Life cycle
The eggs are pale green, spherical, smooth, and almost transparent and resemble the eggs of other swallowtails. The caterpillar is dark green in colour and is spotted with black. The chrysalis is attached to the upper surface of a leaf by the cremaster.

Green Dragontail, Kamjong, Ukhrul Dist. Sept. 2014.
Photo by: Ng. Aomoa
Green Dragontail, Kongbamaru, Imphal East Dist. July 2016
Photo by: Jatishwor Irungbam

Food plants
Illigera burmanica King (Family Hernandiaceae). In the Philippines, the butterfly has also been recorded from Zanthoxylum species (Rutaceae).

Sightings in Manipur
The Green Dragontail is usually found singly along open sunlit patches, almost always near streams and water courses. It may also be seen in small groups, usually twos or threes. In the past few years, the butterfly has been observed very frequently in the lower altitudes of valley and hills of Manipur. The butterfly was observed from Leimatak (Churachandpur district); Kongbamaru (Imphal East district); Leimaram (Imphal West district) and Kamjong (Ukhrul district) during the month of June, September, October and November. So, the species not rare but uncommon in Manipur.

Comparision of Green Dragontail (Photo: Jatishwor I.) and White Dragontail butterfly (Photo: Atanu Bora)
References
  • Collins, N. Mark; Collins, Michael G. (1985). Threatened Swallowtails of the World: the IUCN red data book (401 pp & 8 plates). IUCN Protected Area Programme Series. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, U.K.: IUCN. p. 52. ISBN 978-2-88032-603-6.
  • Kehimkar, I. (2008). The Book of Indian Butterflies. Bombay Natural History Society, 497 pp.
  • Ek-Amnuay, P. (2006). Butterflies of Thailand, Vol 2. Bangkok: Baan Lae Suan, 867 pp.
  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamproptera_meges

Tuesday, 8 November 2016

#4 - Blue Admiral Kaniska canace Linnaeus, 1763

Blue Admiral Kaniska canace Linnaeus, 1763

Kaniska canace, the blue admiral, is the only species of the genus, Kaniska, a nymphalid butterfly. This very widespread species can be found as far north as southeastern Siberia, west to Japan and Korea, east to India and Taiwan, south to Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and parts of Indonesia with a number of well-marked geographic races. In India the butterfly is distributed from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, Northeastern states and hills of South India.

Systematic position
Class:               Insecta
Order :             Lepidoptera
Suborder:         Rhopalocera
Family:            Nymphalidae
Subfamily:       Nymphalinae
Genus:             Kaniska  (Moore, 1899)
Species:           canace Linnaeus, 1763

Description
Kaniska canace has a wingspan of about 60–70 mm (2.4–2.8 in). The upperside of forewings and hindwings is black, while the underside is black and brown. Also, the body is completely black. Forewings have a blue band at the wavy outer edge, a blue or white spot at the wing leading edge and a little white spot in the wing tip. Hindwings show a wide blue transversal band, with a row small black spots and a narrow blue band at the outer very wavy edge.

An adult basking at Shirui Hills, Ukhrul district. Photo: Jatishwor Irungbam
Biology
Larvae grow on various Smilacaceae species (Smilax aspericaulis, Smilax bracteata, Smilax china, Smilax lanceifolia, Smilax perfoliata, Smilax riparia, Smilax sebeana, Smilax sieboldii, Heterosmilax japonica) and Convallariaceae species (Streptopus amplexifolius, Tricyrtis hirta) and Liliaceae (Lilium lancifolium).

Habits
This species is highly territorial and will chase butterflies that move into its territory. It uses well-defined perches and will bask with wings open but often sits with half-open wings. They prefers forested hilly regions. Flies in the vicinity of water, frequently settles on roads and damp patches. Attracted to overripe fruits and tree sap. On the wing from March to December and seen in the Himalaya between 1000 and 3000 m  and in the south Indian Hills between 1000 and 1200 m. Males are territorial.


Underside of Blue Admiral. Photo by: Soibam Baleshwor
Sightings in Manipur
The butterfly is sighted throughout the hills and valley of Manipur. The butterfly is a sun-loving butterfly always seen basking on the sun during bright sunny days. They prefer to visit flowers of varied kinds and also seen on damp grounds. The butterfly was observed from many locations during the survey. Some of the places to be mentioned here are Shiroi Village, Shirui Guest House, Sihai (Ukhrul district); Dzhuko valley, (Senapati district); Lamdeng, Langol RF  (Imphal West); Lokchao WS (Chandel district); Matai, Nongmaiching RF (Imphal East district); Imphal West; Thongam Mondum RF (Thoubal district), Keibul Lamjao NP (Bishenpur district).

References
  • Kehimkar, I. (2008). The Book of Indian Butterflies. Bombay Natural History Society, 497 pp.
  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaniska_canace

Monday, 7 November 2016

#3 - Bronze Duke Euthalia nara Moore, 1859

Bronze Duke Euthalia nara Moore, 1859


Bronze Duke, Euthalia nara Moore, 1859, is a rare nymphalid butterfly distributed in India (Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India), Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Thailand. The butterfly prefers heavily forested region. A very local butterfly. The butterfly is seen on the wing from June to August around 1000 - 1920 m asl.

Systematic position

Class:               Insecta
Order :             Lepidoptera
Suborder:         Rhopalocera
Family:            Nymphalidae
Subfamily:       Limenitidinae
Genus:             Euthalia Hübner, [1819]
Species:           nara Moore, 1859


An adult male Bronze Duke, Shirui Guest House, Ukhrul district

Description

The wingspan of the adult is about 60-80 mm. Both sexes bronzy olive green on UP and without apical white spots. The Male has prominent dusky pale spots in space 2 and 3 on UPF; UPH has a prominent yellow area in space 6 and 7. The Male has no white discal band, while the female has continuous white discal band narrowing towards above tornus on UPF. In females spot in space 4 on UPF narrow, elongate, pointed and separated from the other spots. 

An adult male Bronze Duke, Shirui Guest House, Ukhrul district during July 2016


Sightings in Manipur


The butterfly is rare in Manipur. They prefer densely forested region. Sometimes the butterfly is seen basking in the sun with fully open wings and they are attracted to rotten fruits. The butterfly was seen during my Lepidoptera survey in Shirui Hills during July 2016. It was observed on the roadside bush near Shirui Guest House. The butterfly is rare in all the distribution range. It is on the wing from June to August at around 1000 - 1920 m asl.

An adult Bronze duke on the ground. Photo: Jatishwor Irungbam

References

  • Kehimkar, I. (2008). The Book of Indian Butterflies. Bombay Natural History Society, 497 pp.
  • Ek-Amnuay, P. (2006). Butterflies of Thailand, Vol 2. Bangkok: Baan Lae Suan, 867 pp.

Sunday, 6 November 2016

#2 - Lemon Pansy Junonia lemonias Linnaeus, 1758

Lemon Pansy Junonia lemonias Linnaeus, 1758

Junonia lemonias, the lemon pansy, is a common nymphalid butterfly found in South Asia. It is found in gardens, fallow land, and open wooded areas.

Description
It is brown with numerous eye-spots as well as black and lemon-yellow spots and lines on the upperside of the wings. The underside is a dull brown, with a number of wavy lines and spots in varying shades of brown and black. There is also an eyespot on the lower side of the forewing. The wet and dry-season forms differ considerably in coloration and even shape. In the wet-season form the markings are distinct and vivid and the wing shape is a little more rounded. In the dry-season form the markings are obscure and pale especially on the underside and the wing margin is more angular and jagged. This helps it camouflage in the dried leaf-litter. The lemon pansy is a very active butterfly and can be seen basking with its wings open facing the sun. It sits very low to the ground and can be approached easily. It feeds with its wings half open. It is a fairly strong flier and flies close to the ground with rapid wing beats and often returns to settle back in the same spots.
An adult Lemon Pansy basking in the sun.
Food plants
Caterpillars feed on plants from the families Acanthaceae,  Amaranthaceae,  Malvaceae,  Rubiaceae, Tiliaceae and Verbenaceae. Recorded species include Alternanthera sessilisBarleria cristataBarleria prionitisBlechum pyramidatumCannabis sativaCorchorus capsularisDyschoriste repensEranthemum pulchellumHemigraphis schomburgkiiHygrophila auriculataHygrophila costataHygrophila lanceaLepidagathis formosensisLepidagathis incurvaNelsonia canescensOphiorrhiza japonicaPhyla nodifloraRuellia tuberosaSida rhombifolia, and Strobilanthes formosanus.

Sightings in Manipur
The butterfly is sighted throughout the hills and valley of Manipur. The butterfly is a sun-loving butterfly always seen basking on the sun during bright sunny days. They prefer to visit flowers of varied kinds and also seen on damp grounds. The butterfly was observed from many locations during the survey. Some of the places to be mentioned here are Shiroi Village, Shirui Guest House, Sihai (Ukhrul district); Khundrakpam village, Marjing Reserve Forest, Kongbamaru, (Imphal East district); Langol Reserve Forest (Imphal West); Nambol, Keibul Lamjao National Park, Leimaram (Bishnupur district). They are observed during the months of February, March, June, July, August, September, October, November and December. 

References
  • Evans, W.H. (1932). The Identification of Indian Butterflies (2nd ed.). Mumbai, India: Bombay Natural History Society.
  • Gay, Thomas; Kehimkar, Isaac David; Punetha, Jagdish Chandra (1992). Common Butterflies of India. Nature Guides. Bombay, India: World Wide Fund for Nature-India by Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195631647.
  • Haribal, Meena (1992). The Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya and Their Natural History. Gangtok, Sikkim, India: Sikkim Nature Conservation Foundation.
  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junonia_lemonias