Project butterfly Mankulam Division

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 ...

Papilio crino  (Fabricius  1793)  നാട്ടുമയൂരി Malayalam Name  :   നാട്ടുമയൂരി Family  : Papilionidae Sub-family              : Papilioninae Tribe                      :   Leptocircini Order : Lepidoptera DISTRIBUTION:  The species found in   Indian sub continent STATUS:  Not Common HABITAT:  lowland mixed deciduous forest as well as hot drier jungles up to 900 m HABIT:  IDENTIFICATION FEATURES:    Black butterfly with  with  100–140 mm  wings span. The forewing has the discal transverse bluish-green band  decreasing in width towards the costal margin; in the female it is more sinuous than in the male. The hindwing has the transverse bluish-gre...

Papilio liomedon (Moore 1875)  പുള്ളി വാലൻ                                                                   Photo  Baiju K Malayalam Name  : പുള്ളി വാലൻ Family  : Papilionidae Sub-family              : Papilioninae Tribe                      :   Leptocircini Order : Lepidoptera DISTRIBUTION             Endemic to Western Ghats. STATUS:     Rare HABITAT Confined to semi-evergreen forests and evergreen forests. The males are fond of heavy jungle especially on  hilltops . The females fly lower in even thicker jungle. HABITS   A powerful flier. Male active in high tree canopy especially on the hilltops but females fly low in dense forest. Both sexes v...

Papilio polytes romulus (Cramer, 1775)  നാരകക്കാളി   Malayalam Name  : നാരകക്കാളി Family  : Papilionidae Sub-family              : Papilioninae Tribe                      :   Leptocircini Order : Lepidoptera DISTRIBUTION                     India,  Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan STATUS:      Very Common HABITAT The Common Mormon inhabits home gardens and other well-wooded areas around habitations, deciduous forests and edges and openings in the semi -evergreen and evergreen forests. HABITS   The female forms present a good example of  mimicry of the Roses in colouration as well as in habit. It feeds on nectar and also visits wet patches of soil . Both the Sexes bask in the sun with their wings spread flat . IDENTIFICATION  FEATURES Large black  J...