Tuesday, December 28, 2010

COMMANDER BUTTERFLY


MY OBSERVATIONS
23-11-2010-Seen a caterpillar in a thin metal wire away from  its host plant. The caterpillar is
                        stopped moving. Tail end is attached to the wire. So it may preparing for pupating. 
    24-11-2010 – Once again moulted and pupated

01-12-2010 – Emerged from pupa in the morning at 7.30

Brownish red liquid
 IT TAKES 6 TO 7 DAYS FOR EMERGING FROM PUPA
Kingdom:        Animalia
Phylum:           Arthropoda
Class:             Insecta
Order:             Lepidoptera
(unranked):     Rhopalocera
Superfamily:   Papilionoidea
Family:            Nymphalidae
Subfamily:      Limenitidinae
Tribe:              Limenitidini
Genus:            Moduza
Species:         Moduza. Procris
Often called as:  Limenitis procris
In Malayalam : Vellilathozhi

Adult

Upperside reddish brown with a broad, discal white band across both wings. Hind wing with 2 rows of black spots. Wingspan 60-75mm. The male and female are similar in appearance

Larva

Grey to brown with spiny head. Body with yellow-brown fleshy spines. Segments 2-4 with thin white dorsal line.
HOST PLANT

.Ochreinauclea missionis (Wall. ex G. Don) Ridsd. is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to India. It is threatened.
Kingdom:                            Plantae
(unranked):                         Angiosperms
(unranked):                         Eudicots
(unranked):                         Asterids
Order:                                  Gentianales
Family:                                Rubiaceae
Genus:                                 Ochreinauclea
Species:                             O. missionis

Vernacular names : Tamil: Attu-vanji   Malayalam: Attu-vanji, Nirvanchi

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