Project butterfly Mankulam Division

  Tarucus callinara     പുള്ളി കോമാളി Malayalam Name      : പുള്ളി കോമാളി Common Name ; Spotted Pierrot Order  : Lepidoptera Super Family             : Papilionoidae (Butterflies) Family               :  Lycaenidae Sub Family : Polyommatinae DIST RIBUTION                   Peninsular India STATUS:    Not common HABITAT HABITS T IDENTIFICATION  FEATURES Small size Black and white butterfly with wingspan 25 mm.       SIMILAR SPECIES    LARVAL HOST PLANTS Ziziphus jujuba, Z. nummularia (Rhamnaceae) LIFE CYCLE MORE IMAGES Female Female Male Courtesy  Write up:Wikipaedia Images: T...

  Tarucus nara     കുഞ്ഞിവരയൻ കോമാളി Malayalam Name  : കുഞ്ഞിവരയൻ കോമാളി Family  : Lycaenidae Sub-family              : Polyommatinae Tribe                      :  Leptociaini Order : Lepidoptera DIST RIBUTION                   Peninsular India STATUS:    Not common HABITAT They are found in semi-arid plains, degraded patches of evergreen patches, and semi-evergreen forest, gardens, hill stations and forests—in fact, wherever its food plant,  Kalanchoe , is abundant. HABITS Tarucus ananda  is associated with  Crematogaster ants IDENTIFICATION  FEATURES Small size Black and white butterfly with wingspan 25-30 mm.     SIMILAR SPECIES    Continental Common Pierrot LARVAL HOST PLANTS Ziziphus jujuba, Z. nummularia (Rhamnaceae) LIFE CYCLE MORE IMAGES Male Female Fem...

  Eurema (Terias) andersonii  shimai  (Wallace, 1867) — ചോല പാപ്പാത്തി Malayalam Name:  ചോല പാപ്പാത്തി Family:Pieridae Sub Family:Coliadinae Order: Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moth) DISTRIBUTION:  South East Asia, India   STATUS: Common HABITAT : S HABIT:  Exhibits  seasonal polyphenism . It  has a darker summer morph, triggered by a long day exceeding 13 hours in duration, while the shorter diurnal period of 12 hours or less induces a fairer morph in the post- monsoon  period.   IDENTIFICATION FEATURES: LARVAL HOST PLANT:   Ventilago goughii (Rhamnaceae).  MORE IMAGES      കേരള വനം വന്യജീവി വകുപ്പ്    മാങ്കുളം ഡിവിഷൻ

Hypolycaena nilgirica  (Hewitson, 1865) Nilgiri Tit Malayalam Name           :       Family                             :      Lycaenidae Sub Family                     :      Theclinae Order                              :      Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moth) DISTRIBUTION: Asia STATUS:  Very Rare in WG. HABITAT : Found in the lowland regions to mid-hills   HABIT:  It flies close to the ground and flight similar to much the common white fourring ( Ypthima ceylonica ). So it can be often mistaken for it. . IDENTIFICATION FEATURES:  LARVAL HOST PLANT:  orchid species such as  Arundina graminifolia ,  Spathoglottis plicata ,  Vanda tesssellata , e...

Chilades lajus lajus (Stoll, [1780]) Malayalam Name      : നാരക നീലി Common Name ;   Indian Lime Blue Order  : Lepidoptera Super Family             : Papilionoidae (Butterflies) Family               :  Lycaenidae Sub Family : Polyommatinae   DISTRIBUTION Indo-Malayan Realm STATUS:  HABITAT HABITS IDENTIFICATION  FEATURES Small sized butterfly with wingspan 25-30 mm. SIMILAR SPECIES: LARVAL HOST PLANTS Atalantia buxifolia, A. racemosa, A. wightii, Chloroxylon swietenia, Citrus spp., C. aurantiifolia, C. limon, C. maxima, C. medica, C. sinensis, Glycosmis mauritiana, G. pentaphylla, Limonia acidissima, Naringi crenulata (Ru...

Hypolycaena othona othona (Hewitson, 1865) Oriental Orchid Tit Malayalam Name           :       Family                             :      Lycaenidae Sub Family                     :      Theclinae Order                              :      Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moth) DISTRIBUTION               The Western Ghats and Himalayas. Oriental Orchid Tit is one of the rare butterflies in Western Ghats but not rare in North India STATUS:  Very Rare in WG. HABITAT : T he species prefers wet forests of up to 1524 meters altitude from the mean sea level  HABIT:  The caterpillars of orchid tit feed on the flower buds and flowers of orchids. The ad...