Tailless Malayan

August 23, 2023

Megisba malaya thwaitesi (Moore, [1881])

Malayalam Name	:	മലയൻ
Order	:	Lepidoptera
Family	:	Lycaenidae
Sub-family	:	Polyommatinae
Tribe	:

DISTRIBUTION

South and South East Asia

STATUS: Less Common

HABITAT: The Malayan is a butterfly of evergreen forests.

HABITS

Adults fly low, close to the ground. This species is often seen in forest glades and forest edges. The males frequent cow dung and damp patches for mud-puddling,

IDENTIFICATION FEATURES

Wing Span: 19–30 mm

Upperside: from dull somewhat pale brown to dark brown, some specimens nearly uniform, others with a more or less distinct pale discal patch on the forewing.

Underside: white. Forewing: with the following brown markings: a spot in cell, a transverse short line on the discocellulars, a postdiscal curved series of transverse spots or very short bars that cross the wing from costa to dorsum and are in irregular echelon one with the other, followed by a slender transverse broken line, a subterminal series of broader transverse spots and an anteciliary slender line; at apex of wing the markings are diffuse and form a very small brown-shaded patch, while further inwards along the costa veins 10, 11 and 12 terminate in a minute brown dot. Hindwing: three spots near base in transverse order, a large, conspicuous, rounded, subcostal and a smaller similar spot near the middle of the dorsum, black; between the latter two and also along the discocellulars are some irregular much paler brown transverse spots on the disc, which are followed as on the forewing by an outer postdiscal, very slender brown line, a subterminal series of brown or black spots, and a black anteciliary line.

SIMILAR SPECIES

This butterfly resembles the Quaker (Neopithecops zalmora), especially in flight.

LARVAL HOST PLANTS

Mallotus philippensis, M. repandus (Euphorbiaceae); Allophylus cobbe, Erioglossum spp., Hemigyrosa spp., Lepisanthes tetraphylla, Schleichera oleosa (Sapindaceae).

LIFE CYCLE

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