Malabar Banded Swallowtail

Papilio liomedon (Moore 1875) പുള്ളി വാലൻ

                                                                  Photo  Baiju K

Malayalam Name 

:

പുള്ളി വാലൻ

Family 

:

Papilionidae

Sub-family             

:

Papilioninae

Tribe                     

: 

 Leptocircini

Order

:

Lepidoptera


DISTRIBUTION
            Endemic to Western Ghats.
STATUS:    Rare
HABITAT
Confined to semi-evergreen forests and evergreen forests.The males are fond of heavy jungle especially on hilltops. The females fly lower in even thicker jungle.
HABITS
 A powerful flier. Male active in high tree canopy especially on the hilltops but females fly low in dense forest. Both sexes visit flowers. Male visit damp patches and mudsip for a long time. Bask on lower vegetation with open wings. 
IDENTIFICATION  FEATURES
Large black butterfly with pale greenish-yellow band that crosses the wings  composed entirely of separate spots on the forewing
LARVAL HOST PLANTS
Acronychia pedunculata ,  Acronychia laurifolia and Evodia roxburghiana,Melicope lunu-ankenda of the family Rutaceae. 

LIFE CYCLE

MORE IMAGES    



Anila Manalil, Malabar Banded Swallowtail


Anila Manalil
Malabar Banded Swallowtail
 Courtesy 
Write up:Wikipaedia
Images: TNHS

കേരള വനം വന്യജീവി വകുപ്പ്  
മാങ്കുളം ഡിവിഷൻ



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