Butterfly
Biodata:
Genus: Pantoporia Hübner, 1819
Species: paraka Butler, 1879
Subspecies: paraka Butler, 1879
Wingspan of Adult Butterfly: 35-45mm
Caterpillar Local Host Plants: Dalbergia candenatensis (Leguminosae), Dalbergia rostrata (Leguminosae), Cnestis palala (Connaraceae).
Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:
Above, the wings are dark brown to black with orange markings. On the forewing, there is a broad orange cell streak with two small indentations. There are two orange submarginal lines on the forewing, one or both of which bends at space 3. The hindwing has a subbasal streak passing through base of cell, and a basal streak passing along costa. The dorsum of the thorax has a small yellowish green band aligned with the forewing cell streaks. Underneath, the wings have pale orange markings corresponding to those on the upperside, but generally larger, more diffuse and edged in brown to black along some edges..These markings are set against a background in a shade of yellowish orange.
Field Observations of Butterfly Behaviour:
This species is moderately common in Singapore. It is more frequently found in back mangrove habitats (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Kranji nature trail, Pulau Ubin and Pulau Semakau) where its host plant, Dalbergia candenatensis, thrives. The species can also be sighted, though less frequently, along forest trails in the nature reserve where its other host plant, Dalbergia rostrata, is growing in small clusters on trail sides. The adults are weak flyers but are rather alert and skittish, and would quickly ascend to the tree top when alarmed. The adults have been sighted visiting flowers and puddling on wet ground, and would typically open their wings fully when perching.
Early Stages:
Of the three recorded local host plants for the Perak Lascar, two are Dalbergia species which are both relatively common in back mangrove habitats and in parts of the nature reserve respectively. The third host plant, Cnestis palala (Connaraceae) which is relatively rare in the nature reserve, is also utilized by the immature stages of the Burmese Lascar.
Local host plant #1: Dalbergia
candenatensis.
Local host plant #2: Dalbergia rostrata.
Local host plant #3: Cnestis palala.
Genus: Pantoporia Hübner, 1819
Species: paraka Butler, 1879
Subspecies: paraka Butler, 1879
Wingspan of Adult Butterfly: 35-45mm
Caterpillar Local Host Plants: Dalbergia candenatensis (Leguminosae), Dalbergia rostrata (Leguminosae), Cnestis palala (Connaraceae).
Physical Description of Adult Butterfly:
Above, the wings are dark brown to black with orange markings. On the forewing, there is a broad orange cell streak with two small indentations. There are two orange submarginal lines on the forewing, one or both of which bends at space 3. The hindwing has a subbasal streak passing through base of cell, and a basal streak passing along costa. The dorsum of the thorax has a small yellowish green band aligned with the forewing cell streaks. Underneath, the wings have pale orange markings corresponding to those on the upperside, but generally larger, more diffuse and edged in brown to black along some edges..These markings are set against a background in a shade of yellowish orange.
Field Observations of Butterfly Behaviour:
This species is moderately common in Singapore. It is more frequently found in back mangrove habitats (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Kranji nature trail, Pulau Ubin and Pulau Semakau) where its host plant, Dalbergia candenatensis, thrives. The species can also be sighted, though less frequently, along forest trails in the nature reserve where its other host plant, Dalbergia rostrata, is growing in small clusters on trail sides. The adults are weak flyers but are rather alert and skittish, and would quickly ascend to the tree top when alarmed. The adults have been sighted visiting flowers and puddling on wet ground, and would typically open their wings fully when perching.
Early Stages:
Of the three recorded local host plants for the Perak Lascar, two are Dalbergia species which are both relatively common in back mangrove habitats and in parts of the nature reserve respectively. The third host plant, Cnestis palala (Connaraceae) which is relatively rare in the nature reserve, is also utilized by the immature stages of the Burmese Lascar.
The caterpillars of the Perak
Lascar feed on the young to middle-aged leaves of its host
plants. They typically feed in the open on the leaf surface,
and rest on the midrib between feeds. The lamina of each leaf is
usually eaten from the tip, leaving the midrib uneaten. But unlike
the Athyma spp., there is
no attempt to construct frass chain or frass barrier. As in
the case of Lasippa spp., the caterpillar of the Perak Lascar
in all instars has the habit of cutting rachis and petiole of the
leaf it resides on and using silk threads to attach pieces of cut
lamina to the exposed midrib. Its diet consists mostly of the brown
and withered leaf lamina created in this process.
The eggs of the Perak Lascar are laid singly at
the tip of a leaf or a budding young shoot of the host plant.
The ovipositing female shares a common ovipositing routine adopted
by a good number of Nymphalidae species: After landing on a
leaf and finding it suitable, the female reverses along the leaf
surface, typically along the midrib, until its abdomen tip reaches
the leaf tip where an egg is then deposited.
The
eggs are somewhat globular in shape, with surface marked with
hexagonal pits and bearing spines at pit corners, giving them the
appearance of minute sea-urchins. The micropylar sits atop. Freshly
laid eggs are green in colour, but turning yellowish with rosy red
patches when maturing. Each egg has a diameter of about 0.9mm. The
egg takes about 3 days to hatch. The young caterpillar emerges
by eating away part of the egg shell. The rest of the egg shell
becomes the first meal for the newly hatched, which has a length of
about 2mm. It has a cylindrical pale greyish brown body
covered with many small tubercles and short setae. Four pairs of
subdoral tubercles, found on the 2nd, 3rd thoraic segments and
2nd, 8th abdomnal segments, are somewhat larger than the rest.
The head capsule is similarly coloured but in a darker shade of
brown.
As the caterpillar grows, the body turns increasingly darker. The four pairs of subdorsal tubercles becomes more prominent. After reaching about 4.0mm in 2 days, the caterpillar moults to the 2nd instar.
The body color of the 2nd
instar caterpillar is yellowish brown to reddish brown with a series
of lateral oblique and inconspicuous streaks. Besides tiny tubercles
covering most of its body surface, the 4 subdorsal pairs of
tubercles have become longer and more spine-like with short
protuberances. Furthermore, each of the two thoracic pairs of
spines appear to be connected with a slightly raised ridge
between the two spines on each side. White strips are featured at
the base of 8th and 9th abdominal segments. The head capsule is dark
brown and dotted with a number of pale yellowish brown conical
tubercles. This instar lasts about 3 days with the body length
reaching about 5.5-6mm.
The 3rd instar caterpillar has similar body
markings as the 2nd instar but with all 4 paris of
subdorsal spines longer proportinately, and ridge connection in the
two thoracic pairs more evident. A large saddle becomes apparent
with a curved and tapering boundary taking shape, stretching from
the base of the 2nd abdominal segment to a spot on the dorsum
of the 8th abdomnal segment between the two
subdorsal spines. This instar takes about 6-8 days to complete
with body length reaching about 8-9mm.
The 4th instar caterpillar resembles the 3rd instar caterpillar
closely. The oblique lateral brown streaks gain greater prominence
with an increase in its shade of brown. A black lateral patch now
appears on the 6th abdominal segment, right on the boundary
line of the saddle marking. The subdorsal pair of spines on the 8th
abdominal segment are now the longest of all the subdoral spines,
and are backward pointing as in the case for the pair on the 2nd
abdominal segment. This instar lasts about 8-9 days with the
body length reaching about 12-13mm.
Except from the proportionately increase in the
length/size of the body and head capsule, the 5th instar caterpillar
is little changed from the 4th instar in all body markings and
features.
Two views of a newly moulted 5th instar caterpillar.
Two views of a 5th instar caterpillar feeding on withered leaf lamina, late in this stage, length: 17mm.
The
duration of the 5th instar is rather variable, ranging from 10 days
to 18 days in various bred specimens. The maximum body length is
just as variable, with some only reach up only 17mm and the
longest ones up to 21mm. On the last day, the color of the
body decolorises slightly for some specimens, and none at all in
others. Typically, the fully grown caterpillar ceases feeding
and stays dormant for a while. Then it proceeds to the tip of the
midrib of a eaten leaf, and spins a silk pad right at the tip.
The caterpillar then turns around and attaches its claspers to the
silk pad. From this head-up position, it then gradually lets
loose of its foot grip and in one short instant drops down to assume
the hanging pre-pupatory posture. This particular `head-up drop'
procedure is only adopted by a handful of Nymphalidae species.
A Perak Lascar caterpillar going through the chores of becoming a hanging pre-pupa.
Pupation takes place about 0.5 to a day later. The pupa
suspends itself via a cremastral attachment to the silk pad at the
leaf tip. It is almost entirely dark to rusty brown in color, with
the ventral side of the head region and leading edge of the wing
cases in a lighter shade of brown. The abdominal segments are
bent and tapering to the thin and narrow cremaster at its
posterior end. The wing cases are rather large and broaden
laterally. The dorsum of the thorax is angular and is adorned with a
number of silvery spots. The head is bluntly cleft at its front
edge with small pointed lateral vertices. Length of pupae:
11-12mm.
A
pupa of the Perak Lascar found in the field.
After about 5 days of development, the
pupal turns dark as the development within the pupal case comes to
an end. The orange spots and streak on the forewing upperside also
become discernible. The following day, the adult butterfly emerges
from the pupal case.
A Perak Lascar caterpillar emerges from its pupal case.
References:
- [C&P4] The Butterflies of The Malay Peninsula, A.S. Corbet and H.M. Pendlebury, 4th Edition, The Malayan Nature Society.
- A Field Guide to the Butterflies of Singapore, Khew S K, Ink on Paper Comm. Pte. Ltd., 2010.
- Butterflies of Thailand, Pisuth EK-Amnuay, 1st Edition, 2006.
Fabulous pictures as ever. How can a butterfly lay an egg like that? Does it form after it is laid? I have often wondered that with other eggs, but these eggs are really intricate.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nick for the kind words. :)
ReplyDeleteFrom what I read, butterflies' eggs with all their intricate features are already formed within the mother's body before the oviposition event.