Sahyadri Staff Sergeant

Athyma selenophora kanara (Evans, 1924)ഒറ്റവരയൻ സർജൻറ്റ്

Male

Malayalam Name     

:

ഒറ്റവരയൻ സർജൻറ്റ്

Order 

:

Lepidoptera

Super Family            

:

Papilionoidae (Butterflies)

Family              

: 

Nympalidae

Sub Family

:

Limetidinae

DISTRIBUTION :  The species found in tropical and subtropical  Asia.

STATUS:

HABITAT The

HABITS

IDENTIFICATION  FEATURES 

Wingspan 66–72 mm

The male upperside is black with a forewing that has a discoidal streak deep red, twice divided, with the apical portion dusky white. Three elongate oval white spots appear in the interspaces beyond, forming a distinct white band, variable in width, from dorsum to interspace 3.

The staff sergeant features an obscure inner subterminal line of transverse whitish marks, and another outer subterminal pale line that's even more obscure. The hindwing has a broad white discal band of the forewing continued across to vein 1, a postdiscal narrow diffuse pale macular band, and a subterminal pale line; abdominal fold dusky grey; cilia of both forewings and hindwings black, alternated with white.

Female upperside velvety brownish black with white and pale markings, Forewing: the discoidal streak clavate (club like), twice divided, a large elongate triangular spot beyond apex of cell; a macular discal band of four large spots inclined outwards from dorsum, and three obliquely placed spots from beyond the middle of the costa, the lowest spot of these minute, the next two large, elongate, with a very slender short streak above them on the costa; an inner subterminal series of transverse spots and an outer subterminal pale incomplete line. Hindwing; the subbasal broad band widening towards costa; a postdiscal series of large, inwardly bluntly conical spots and a broad subterminal pale line. Underside as in the male, but the white markings broader, the ground colour not so bright. Antennae, thorax and abdomen as in the male but the abdomen with a white transverse band at base.

SIMILAR SPECIES : Female is similar to Clear Sailor

LARVAL HOST PLANTSLIFE CYCLE

Haldina cordifolia, Mussaenda philippica, Wendlandia thyrsoidea (Rubiaceae).

MORE IMAGES


male
female




Courtesy 
Write up:Wikipaedia
Images: TNHS

കേരള വനം വന്യജീവി വകുപ്പ്  
മാങ്കുളം ഡിവിഷൻ


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