Introduction

The subfamily Danainae, which includes the Monarchs & Tigers, Nymphs and Crows, comprises of about 190 species worldwide. All butterflies in this subfamily are thought to be toxic or distasteful to avian predators. Their bodies contain toxins derived from the larval foodplants, often supplemented by further toxins derived from pyrrolizidine alkaloids in adult food sources.

Danaus affinis is a widespread species found in Thailand, West Malaysia, the Philippines, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, Timor, West Irian, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, New Britain, New Ireland and Australia where it is found along the coastal strip of Queensland.

Habitats

This species inhabits coastal swamp forest and mangroves.

Lifecycle

The egg is pale yellow and is laid singly on a leaf of the foodplant. The fully grown caterpillar is dark brown with numerous large white and yellow spots, and broken white rings between the segments. It has a pair of curved subdorsal filaments on the 2nd, 6th and 12th segments. It sequesters toxins from the larval foodplant Cynanchum ( Apocynaceae ) and is noxious to birds and small mammals. The chrysalis is barrel shaped with the abdominal segments compressed into a cone. It is green and brown with a gold ring around the widest part.

Adult behaviour

Both sexes nectar at a wide range of flowers. They roost overnight on twigs or stems, and often roost communally.

Introduction

The Heliconiinae comprises of 3 tribes – Acraeini, Argynnini and Heliconiini. The Acraeini includes the Neotropical genera Abananote, Altinote and Actinote; and the Oriental / Australian Cethosia, as well as Acraea which includes 230 African species, one Australian species, and 5 in the Oriental region.

All Acraea species have elongate forewings and rounded hindwings. The wings are thinly scaled to the extent that in many species they are semi-transparent. The scales tend to get rubbed off very easily so that insects more than 4 or 5 days old have a distinctly glassy or greasy appearance.

Acraea andromacha is found in West Irian, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia and Australia.

Habitats

This species inhabits dry lightly forested areas at elevations between sea level and about 1000m.

Lifecycle

The eggs are creamy yellow and ribbed. They are laid in loose clusters of up to 50 on the stems of the larval foodplants. The caterpillars are glossy brown with long multi-branched black dorsal and lateral spikes. They feed gregariously in the early instars but gradually split up becoming solitary by the final instar. The principal larval foodplants are Adenia and Passiflora ( Passifloraceae ) but they will also use Hybanthus ( Violaceae ). The pupa is white, with broad black lateral and dorsal stripes that contain a series of orange spots. The wing cases are streaked in black.

Adult behaviour

Males flutter constantly in search of females, which do not fly until after copulation has taken place. The butterflies usually roost overnight high up on twigs or foliage.

Introduction

The Tellervini was originally thought to comprise of a single Australasian species Tellervo zoilus, of which 9 subspecies were recognised. Recent phylogenetic research however has led to all of these being elevated to full species status. The butterflies are allied to the Danaini and Ithomiini, but differ morphologically from both in several respects. They are found variously in Queensland, West Irian, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

The butterflies are easily recognised by their conspicuous black and white markings, long straight antennae and large orange or yellow eyes.

Tellervo assarica is endemic to West Irian, where it is found on the mainland and on the islands of Seram, Amboina and Yapen.

Habitats

This species inhabits rainforest at elevations between sea level and about 500m.

Lifecycle

I do not have any data regarding assarica. The following applies to the Australian species zoilus:

The eggs are white and are laid singly on leaves of the foodplant. The larva is dark grey with four thin white broken transverse bands on each segment. It has a pair of raised yellow spots on the anal segment, and a pair of yellow-based black thorn-like filaments projecting from the thorax. The larval foodplant is Parsonia, a noxious woody vine in the family Apocynaceae. It is assumed that the larvae sequester toxins from these plants and that the larvae, pupae and adult butterflies are unpalatable to birds and other small vertebrates.

The larvae exhibit territorial behaviour, marking each leaf with a regurgitated fluid before beginning to feed. This fluid is probably a deterrent to ants and other predatory insects. If molested the larva wriggles violently from side to side, thrusting at the intruder with its thorn-like thoracic filaments.

The pupa is pale shiny green with black spots. It is suspended by the cremaster from the underside of a leaf.

Adult behaviour

Both sexes nectar at Lantana and various herbaceous flowering plants. Males sit on leaves slowly fanning their wings to release pheromones and attract females. the butterflies commonly rest under leaves.

Introduction

The subfamily Danainae, which includes the Monarchs & Tigers, Nymphs and Crows, comprises of about 190 species worldwide.

The genus Euploea is very distinctive. All of the 59 known species are dark brown in colour, and most have a double band of white spots on the underside of the wings, and tiny white spots on the sides of the thorax. On the upperside, males of many species have a deep blue or purple sheen.

Euploea tulliolus is found in Myanmar, Thailand, West Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, the Philippines, Sulawesi, Java, West Irian, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, New Caledonia, Bougainville, eastern Australia and the Solomon Islands.

Habitats

This species can be found in a wide variety of lowland habitats including mangrove swamp, tropical rainforest, dry woodland, Acacia scrub and beach hinterlands at elevations from sea level to about 800m.

Lifecycle

The egg is white and is laid singly on shoots and tendrils of the larval foodplants. In Australia the larva usually feeds on Trophis ( Moraceae ) but elsewhere it reportedly uses Ficus ( Moraceae ) and Nerium ( Apocynaceae ). These plants have chemical defences so the larva bites partly through the leaf pedicle to cut off the flow of toxins from within the stem. The fully grown larva has 2 pairs of long black filaments on the thorax and another pair on the anal segment. Each body segment is narrowly ringed in black and white, the latter merging to orange just above the spiracles. The pupa is a remarkable object. It is metallic chrome silver in colour, and is suspended by the cremaster from beneath a leaf of the foodplant.

Adult behaviour

Males are often seen imbibing moisture from damp ground or feeding at decomposing fruit on the forest floor. Females are more often seen when nectaring, and have a strong preference for the flowers of Lantana. At dusk the butterflies gather together in communal roosts – typically of a dozen or so will cluster together, hanging from twigs in semi-shaded situations.

Introduction

Mycalesis is one of the largest Satyrine genera, containing 88 known species, of which 2 have yet to be given scientific names. The genus is confined to the Oriental and Australian regions.

The butterflies are instantly recognisable as a group, all being some shade of brown on both wing surfaces, and marked with a series of conspicuous ocelli, and a single straight median line across the underside of both wings. Many of the species are very similar, but can usually be distinguished from each other by close examination of the configuration of the ocelli and submarginal lines.

Mycalesis terminus is found in Irian Jaya, Papua New Guinea and surrounding islands. It also occurs in Australia ( Cape York ).

Habitats

This species inhabits forest glades and open woodland where dappled sunlight filters down to the forest floor.

Lifecycle

The eggs are yellow and globular. They are laid in clusters of up to 6 on the underside of leaves of the grasses Imperata, Panicum, Themeda and Oplismenus ( Poaceae ). The fully grown caterpillar is pale brown with a faint dark dorsal line. It feeds nocturnally and rests during daytime at the base of a grass tussock. The chrysalis is green with a dark dorsal line. It is suspended by the cremaster from a grass blade or nearby stem.

Adult behaviour

The adults are usually seen resting on low foliage in semi-shaded areas in forest glades or similar semi-open habitats. They never outspread their wings when at rest, but sometimes momentarily flick them open, displaying the diematic ocelli on the upperside as a bluff warning to predators.

Introduction

Mycalesis is one of the largest Satyrine genera, comprising of 88 known species, of which 2 have yet to be given scientific names. The genus is confined to the Oriental and Australian regions.

The butterflies are instantly recognisable as a group, all being some shade of brown on both wing surfaces, and marked with a series of conspicuous ocelli, and a single straight median line across the underside of both wings. Many of the species are very similar, but can usually be distinguished from each other by close examination of the configuration of the ocelli and submarginal lines.

Mycalesis terminus is found in Irian Jaya, Papua New Guinea and New Britain. It undoubtedly also occurs on many of the smaller islands surrounding New Guinea.

Habitats

This species inhabits forest glades and open woodland where dappled sunlight filters down to the forest floor.

Lifecycle

I have no data regarding phidon. The lifecycle of most Mycalesis species adheres to the following pattern: The eggs are yellow and spherical. They are laid in clusters of up to 6 on the underside of grass blades, most commonly on Imperata and Themeda ( Poaceae ). The fully grown caterpillar is typically brown with a faint dark dorsal line. It feeds nocturnally and rests by day at the base of a grass tussock. The chrysalis is suspended by the cremaster from a grass blade or nearby stem.

Adult behaviour

The adults are usually seen resting on low foliage in semi-shaded areas in forest glades or similar semi-open habitats. They never outspread their wings when at rest, but sometimes momentarily flick them open, displaying the diematic ocelli on the upperside as a bluff warning to predators.

Introduction

The genus Vindula comprises of 4 species which are variously distributed from India to Australia.

Vindula arsinoe is found on the Moluccas, Irian Jaya, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon islands, New Britain, and New Ireland.

Habitats

This species occurs in primary and disturbed rainforest habitats at altitudes between sea level and about 1000m.

Lifecycle

The larval foodplants include Passiflora, Adenia, and Hollrungia.

Adult behaviour

The orange males are commonly observed mud-puddling for mineralised moisture and are usually encountered as singletons amidst aggregations of Pieridae and Papilionidae. They fan their wings slowly or keep them fully outspread when feeding in semi-shaded conditions but hold them erect in hot sunny conditions. Females are seen much less commonly and are usually encountered when nectaring at Lantana or other flowering bushes.

Introduction

There are 24 species in the genus Polyura, most of which are found in the Oriental region, although one species posidonius is restricted to Tibet and west China; 6 or 7 are endemic to various islands, e.g. andrewsi from Christmas Island and caphontis from Fiji; and one, pyrrhus reaches Queensland in Australia.

The butterflies are characterised by their distinctive wing shape with twin tails on the hindwings, a feature strongly reminiscent of the African Charaxes. Most have dark brown uppersides with bands of dazzling creamy white which vary in size and shape from one species to another. These bands are repeated on the underside, usually in a beautiful shade of pale green. In a few species such as delphis the underside is almost entirely white.

Polyura jupiter is found in West Irian, the Bismark archipelago, Bougainville, the Admiralty islands and probably elsewhere in the Papuan region.

Habitats

This species inhabits rainforest at elevations between sea level and about 500m.

Lifecycle

I have no data regarding jupiter, but the lifecycle is likely to be very similar to that of other Polyura species: The eggs are spherical, shiny and usually yellow. They are laid on the underside of leaves of the foodplants. The larvae when fully grown are green, and frequently have prominent diagonal stripes. They have large heads adorned with a crown of 4 long horns. They feed nocturnally on the foliage of various trees and shrubs e.g. Albizia, Acacia, Abarema, Adenanthera, Peltophorum and Leucaena ( Fabaceae ), Grewia ( Malvaceae ) and Caesalpinia ( Caesalpinaceae ). The chrysalis is green, and has a plump, rounded and compressed abdomen. It is attached by a stout pedunculate cremaster to a twig or stem on or near the foodplant.

Adult behaviour

Males are strongly attracted to carnivore faeces. Once feeding they are very reluctant to leave their meal. If forcibly ejected they fly very rapidly up into nearby trees, but invariably return within a few minutes. It is not uncommon to find 3 or 4 Polyura males of mixed species crowding over fresh dung.

Introduction

There are 14 species in the genus Cethosia, distributed variously from India to Australia.

Cethosia cydippe is found throughout the forested regions of New Guinea and surrounding islands, and also occurs in Australia (Cape York, Queensland).

Habitats

This species occurs in open forested habitats, e.g. along forest roads and wider trails, or in gardens in forest villages. It is found from sea level to about 1200m.

Lifecycle

The larval foodplants include Adenia, Passiflora, and Hollrungia.

Adult behaviour

Both sexes are usually encountered as singletons and observed while nectaring at bushes or herbaceous plants. They usually keep their wings erect or half open while nectaring, but will sometimes bask with wings outspread in warm overcast conditions.

Introduction

There are 8 species in the genus Cupha, commonly known as Rustics. The commonest and most widespread species is erymanthis which occurs from India and Sri Lanka to China, and south to the Philippines, Sumatra and Java. The remaining species are distributed variously from the Philippines to Australia.

Cupha prosope is found in New Guinea and surrounding islands, and also in Australia from Cape York to New South Wales.

Habitats

This species is found in open areas of rainforest, e.g. along forest roads and riverbanks.

Lifecycle

The egg is greenish-yellow and globular. It is laid singly on leaves of Flacourtia, Scolopia, Breynia and Xylosma (Salicaceae). The fully grown larva is greenish-brown, dotted with white. It has an orange head and long black multi-branched dorsal and lateral spikes. The chrysalis is green mottled with silver. It has 3 pars of dorsal filaments, and long head horns, giving the impression of a fungal growth sprouting from a larval corpse.

Adult behaviour

Both sexes nectar at Lantana. Males commonly bask on the ground in glades or forest roads.