Moduza procris
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Moduza procris |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Moduza procris | ||||||||||||
| ( Cramer , 1777) |
Moduza procris is occurring in Asia Butterfly ( butterfly ) from the family of Nymphalidae (Nymphalidae). In English usage, the species is referred to as Commander .
features
butterfly
The wingspan of the moth is 65 to 70 millimeters. There is no sexual dimorphism between the sexes , as males and females have the same drawing elements. All wings show a red-brown to dark brown basic color on the upper side. A wide, white, transverse band extends centrally over the fore and hind wings. The submarginal region is darkened and crossed by a black wavy line. On the undersides of the wings, the essential features of the pattern of the upper sides shine through, but the basal region of the hind wings is silver-white to ice-gray over a large area. The proboscis is yellow.
egg
The egg is green in color and its surface is covered with very short, whitish hairs. The hemispherical shape resembles a flattened small golf ball , as it shows many dents (dimples). It is usually deposited individually on the leaf surface of a food plant.
Caterpillar
The caterpillars are colored black-brown. For their protection, they show an extraordinary behavior: on the leaves of their food plants they create boundary walls from their own ball of feces, which are not crossed by enemies such as ants (Formicidae), as the feces also contain poisonous substances. The entire body surface of the caterpillars is also covered with highly branched, thorny outgrowths, making them inedible for other potential predators, such as birds.
Doll
The doll has an irregular, curved shape that ends in two short hammer-like features at the bottom. It is red-brown in color and has two very small whitish dots in the middle. The overall appearance resembles a dried up and rolled up leaf, which means that it can hardly be recognized by predators. It is attached to twigs, trunks or leaves as a falling doll with a webbing anchorage. Shortly before the moths hatch, their drawing features already shine through the pupa shell.
egg
Caterpillar
Caterpillar, surrounded by a protective wall formed from balls of manure
Doll
side view
Doll
front view
Distribution, subspecies and habitat
The species occurs in India , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Malaysia , Nepal , Myanmar , Brunei and Singapore , in southern China as well as on Java , Sumatra and the Philippines . 18 subspecies are currently classified in the various occurrence areas . Moduza procris primarily inhabits dense rainforests .
Way of life
The moths show a very active flight behavior. They occasionally visit different flowers to take in nectar. Males sometimes also suckle urine-containing earth places in order to take in fluids and minerals. The caterpillars feed preferentially from the leaves of Rötegewächsen (Rubiaceae).
Individual evidence
- ^ India Biodiversity Portal
- ↑ Development cycle
- ↑ Learn about Butterflies
- ↑ Distribution and subspecies
Web links
- Lepiforum e. V. - Moduza procris near Lepiforum
- ifoundbutterflies.org - Butterflies of India
- yutaka.it - photos of the nominate form