Butterflies of
the Indian
subcontinent
Blue Oakleaf
Kallima
philarchus
WESTWOOD, 1848
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
NYMPHALINAE
Tribe - KALLIMINI
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Kallima philarchus,
male, Mumbai, India
© Anand Narkevar |
Introduction
The Indo-Australian
genera
Doleschallia
and Kallima,
and the African genera
Kamilla, Mallika
and Kallimoides
are collectively known as Dead Leaf butterflies. They are
characterised by having a produced apex, and the hw tornus
extended to form a short tail. The resulting shape, together
with the cryptic underside colouration bears a remarkable
resemblance to a dead leaf, complete with a false "midrib", and
markings resembling patches of mould and leaf galls.
There
are between 8-10 species in the genus Kallima - the
exact number is open to interpretation as some taxonomists elevate some
"subspecies" or morphs to the rank of species. Kallima
alompra for example seems to be indistinguishable from the wet season
morph of horsfieldi.
All of the Kallima species are subject to variation
in the colour and pattern of the markings, and in the shape of the forewings -
the dry season forms tend to have very falcate apices, and paler, redder
markings on the underside.
There are 5 species found on
the Indian subcontinent - alompra,
horsfieldi, inachus,
knyvetti and philarchus.
The remaining species are distributed variously from Burma to Java.
Kallima philarchus is found in
southern India and Sri Lanka.
Habitats
This species is found in rainforest habitats at altitudes between about
100-800m.
Lifecycle
The larval foodplant is Strobilanthes ( Acanthaceae
).
Adult behaviour
Early in the morning the butterflies descend from their overnight
roosting places to settle on bare ground and bask with the wings
fully outspread. Later, in the dappled sunlight of the forest
interior they settle on foliage to bask, and at these times they
usually hold their wings half open.
I have on a few occasions accidentally flushed up males from the
forest floor, where they settle amongst leaf litter, with their
wings closed. At such times they are virtually impossible to spot,
due to the incredibly effective "dead-leaf" disguise. If disturbed
they immediately fly up and settle on a nearby branch. When
settling temporarily in such situations they adopt the posture
illustrated in the photograph at the top of the page, but when
settling to roost in wet weather, or overnight, they more commonly
adopt a head-downwards posture on the branches.
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