Malabar banded peacock,
Papilio buddha ( Westwood 1872)
Malayalam Name: ബുദ്ധ മയൂരി
Common Name: Malabar Banded Peacock
Order : Lepidoptera
Super family: Papilionoidae (Butterflies)
Family: Papilionidae
Sub family: Papilioninae
DISTRIBUTION
The species is endemic to the Western Ghats.
STATUS
State Butterfly of Kerala. Not common, but locally abundant in some areas having host plants.
HABITAT
Restricted mainly to the lowland evergreen and semi-evergreen forests.
HABITS
The Malabar Banded Peacock is the most beautiful butterfly in peninsular India. Mostly flies among the tree-tops. active during the noon and afternoon, flies fast and straight and the female are rarely seen as they probably spent most of their time in denser forests.
IDENTIFICATION FEATURES
Wingspan 90-100mm. Black butterfly with a broad metalic blue band on the upper side of the wings which forms a V shape. The underside of the wings is black without a trace white spots, a lateral white band from segments 5-6 to the anal end and a faint diagonal line.
IDENTICAL SPECIES:
This species is identical to Papilio palinurus, the Emerald Peacok, native to Southeast Asia which is reared artificially throughout the world. It is also confused with the Common Banded Peacock.
LARVAL HOST PLANT
Only one host plant reported. Indian Prickly Ash Zanthoxylum rhetsa (മുള്ളിലം)
LIFE CYCLE
The egg is laid on a tender shoot or on the upper side of a mature leaf. The young caterpillar feeds on fully expanded but tender leaves.
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| Ist instar Larvae image courtesy: Girish Mohan |
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5th Instar Larvae image courtesy: Girish Mohan
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Ventral View 
Courtesy Write up:Wikipaedia Images: TNHS |
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കേരള വനം വന്യജീവി വകുപ്പ് മാങ്കുളം ഡിവിഷൻ |
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