#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.