Butterflies of
the Indian
subcontinent
Mottled Emigrant
Catopsilia pyranthe
LINNAEUS,
1758
Family - PIERIDAE
subfamily -
COLIADINAE
Tribe -
Catopsilia pyranthe,
Weligaththa, Sri Lanka
Introduction
There are 6 species
in the genus Catopsilia, including
gorgophone from Australia,
thauruma from Madagascar;
pyranthe and
scylla from the Oriental region; and
florella which is found all across
Africa and also in India, Myanmar, Thailand and east to China.
The most widespread members of the genus
are
pomona and
pyranthe, both of which are found
from India and Sri Lanka to Malaysia, east to the Philippines, and south
through Borneo, Sulawesi, Java, Bali, Timor and New Guinea, to
northern Australia.
Catopsilia pyranthe,
Weligaththa, Sri Lanka
Habitats
The Mottled Emigrant, as it's name implies, is strongly
migratory in behaviour and can therefore be found in many habitats
including Acacia scrub, dry open woodlands, beach hinterlands,
gardens and wasteland.
Catopsilia pyranthe,
female with egg cluster, Weligaththa, Sri Lanka
Lifecycle
The greenish-white skittle-shaped eggs are laid either singly or
in small clusters of 3 or 4, on the upper or lower surface of
leaves of the larval foodplants. These include
Cassia, Ormocapum and
Senna ( Fabaceae ). The fully grown
caterpillar is pale green with a whitish lateral stripe. It is
extremely well camouflaged as it rests along the midrib of a
leaf. Pupation takes place away from the foodplant, on the stems
of nearby bushes, or on tree trunks, fences or buildings.
Catopsilia pyranthe,
egg cluster, Weligaththa, Sri Lanka
Adult behaviour
Males imbibe
moisture from damp patches of ground and are attracted to urine,
but not in such numbers as pomona.
Both sexes commonly visit
flowers including
Lantana and Catunaregam.
Females indulge
in "egg-laying runs" interspersed with long periods of rest.
When I first spotted the female depicted above, she was flying
incessantly from bush to bush in an area of
Acacia scrub, testing dozens of
different leaves by "tasting" them with her feet. Every time she
located a Cassia or
Ormocapum plant she very quickly
deposit a single egg, or sometimes more, before moving on to the
next plant. Her egg-laying run lasted for about 5 minutes,
during which time she deposited a total of 14 eggs, then decided
enough was enough, and retired to hide among the foliage of a
nearby bush, where she remained for about half an hour.
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