Tailed Palmfly

Elymnias caudata Butler, 1871 — 

male

Malayalam Name

:

ഓലകണ്ടൻ

Order

:

Lepidoptera

Family

:

Nympalidae

Sub-family

:

Satyrinae

Sub species

:

Borbo bevani 

common names

:

 Tailed Palm

DISTRIBUTION : Western Ghats

STATUS: 

HABITAT : Semi evergreen forests 

HABITS

IDENTIFICATION  FEATURES: 

This butterfly species are sexually dimorphic: males and females do not look alike. Males have black upperside forewings with small blue patches.

 

 

male

 



                                      female

SIMILAR SPECIES : 

Male mimic Euploea species, while the females mimic butterfly species of the genus Danaus (stripped Tiger)

 


LARVAL HOST PLANTS

Arecaceae, Areca spp., Areca catechu, Calamus spp., C. rotang, C. pseudofeanus, C. thwaitesii, Arenga engleri, A. pinnata, A. wightii, Caryota urens, Chamaerops humilis, Dypsis lutescens, Cocos nucifera, Elaeis guineensis, Livistona chinensis, Hyophorbe lagenicaulis, Metroxylon sagu, Phoenix spp., P. loureiroi, Rhapis spp., R. excelsa, R. humilis, Trachycarpus fortunei, Licuala chinensis (Arecaceae).

 LIFE CYCLE

MORE IMAGES

Male

Female

Female

Female



Tailed Palmfly =Male

Tailed Palmfly-Female

Tailed Palmfly

Tailed Palmfly-female

Tailed Palmfly


Courtesy 
Write up:Wikipaedia
Images: TNHS

കേരള വനം വന്യജീവി വകുപ്പ്  
മാങ്കുളം ഡിവിഷൻ



 

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