Butterfly Identification

The peacock pansy butterfly (Junionia almana) sports striking eyespots and purple patterns. This species is widely distributed throughout South East Asia. This species inhabits a wide variety of habitats including secondary rainforest, monsoon forest, plantations, rural areas and gardens. It is active in bright sunshine and prefers open areas, where it flies close to the ground. This species is rather common across multiple habitats, with ubiquitous presence in open areas in the nature reserves as well as urban and suburban areas. Peacock Pansy Butterflies are frequently found basking in sunny patches of the NEERI campus in the early part of … Read more

Blue Pansy Butterfly (Junonia orithya) This time I would like to show you some recent pics of a pansy butterfly (Junonia orithya), the day I found, it was busy flying here and there over the wild plants. Luckily, I used DSLR, so I could be able to take these photos from a distance range. This species is relatively common in Indonesia, even sometimes we can find this typical butterfly in the bush, pretty much around the flower garden. Any butterfly, including this kind, tend to visit tiny flowers growing in grassy areas, and sunbathe with wings fully open. The flight … Read more

　　Life History of the Striped Blue Crow (Euploea mulciber mulciber) 　　Butterfly Biodata: 　　Genus: Euploea Fabricius, 1807 　　Species: mulciber Cramer, 1777 　　Subspecies: mulciber Cramer, 1777 　　Wingspan of Adult Butterfly: 80-90mm 　　Caterpillar Local Host Plants: Calotropis gigantea (Asclepiadaceae, common name: Giant Milkweed), Gymnanthera oblonga (Apocynaceae, common name: Sea Rubber Vine), Nerium oleander (Apocynaceae, common name: Oleander), and various members of the Ficus genus including Ficus microcarpa (Moraceae, common name: Chinese Banyan), F. grossularioides (common name: White-leafed Fig) and F. lamponga. 　　Physical Description of Adult Butterfly: 　　Above, the male is bright blue in the forewing with diffuse white spots in the distal half; … Read more

The 2nd instar caterpillar is yellowish green in body color with similar droplet-bearing setae as in the 1st instar. In addition, there are numerous small, black, conical tubercles dotting the body surface. Each of tubercles has a short setae emerging from it. The head is pale yellowish green in color. This instar lasts about 1.5 days with the body length reaching about 6.2mm. The 3rd instar caterpillar resembles the 2nd instar caterpillar closely except for the appearance of a whitish sub-spiracular band. The body surface has numerous tiny setae, and in some specimens, the base of these setae are darker … Read more

Male. Wings large, broad. Forewing triangular; costa very slightly curved, apex rounded, exterior margin oblique and slightly scalloped, posterior margin short, angle convex; costal vein extending to two-thirds of the costal margin, free from the subcostal in both sexes; first and second subcostal branches somewhat undulated, the first subcostal emitted before one-half length of the cell, second at one-sixth before the end, third at half length beyond the cell and curved upward, running close along second for some distance and ending at the apex, fourth and fifth on a short footstalk starting from near base of the third; cell long, … Read more

The Scarlet Mormon Butterfly, also called the Scarlet Swallowtail, is native to the Philippines. Its wingspan can reach 140mm. The male (above left) has a basically black topside with streaked hind wings like other male Mormons; the female (above right) has a bright scarlet central panel, but black body. The top of the white markings on the male’s hind wings is at a diagonal rather than straight, unlike the Great Mormon’s, leaving a black lozenge shape visible above. A red eye-spot is also sometimes visible. The male is tail-less (a similar-looking male, but with tails, is the Ascalaphus Swallowtail). The … Read more