Malabar Tree Nymph

Idea malabarica

Malayalam Name 

:

വനദേവത

Family 

:

Nyphalidae

Sub-family             

:

Danaidae

Tribe                     

: 

Leptociaini

Order

:

Lepidoptera


DISTRIBUTION
             Western Ghats
STATUS: 
The Malabar Tree Nymph was declared the state butterfly of Goa,
HABITAT
The
HABITS
Their flight is slow, weak and fluttery. They glide a lot, giving members of this genus the other name of paperkite. They often glide above the tree canopy but every now and then move lower down in forest openings. They are unpalatable like other members of the Danainae
IDENTIFICATION  FEATURES
The Malabar tree nymph has a wingspan of 120–154 mm. It appears as a mostly white butterfly with black markings. Upperside semitransparent white, sometimes slightly infuscate with a powdering of black scales. Forewing with the following black marks: narrow margins on both sides of the veins, a dusky streak along dorsum, large sub-basal spots in interspaces 1 and 2 (produced inwardly in former), a large oval spot crossing three streaks in discoidal cell, a spot above it in interspace 11, a broad margin to the discocellulars and three rows of spots on outer half of wing, the discal series outwardly conical and curved sharply inwards opposite apex, the subterminal series in pairs coalescent on the veins, the terminal series elongate on veins and in interspaces; costa with a black streak at base, beyond black and white alternately. Hindwing with similar markings; cell with two streaks, the upper forked towards apex; costa white, two spots not touching the vein below in interspace 8; paired spots on veins 5, 8, and 7 not coalescent but one behind the other, black. Underside similar. Antennae black; head and thorax streaked and spotted with black; abdomen white, with broad dusky black streak above.
SIMILAR SPECIES  Con
LARVAL HOST PLANTS
Aganosma cymosa, Parsonsia alboflavescens (Apocynaceae)

LIFE CYCLE




MORE IMAGES










Courtesy 
Write up:Wikipaedia
Images: TNHS

കേരള വനം വന്യജീവി വകുപ്പ്  
മാങ്കുളം ഡിവിഷൻ


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