Butterflies of the Indian
subcontinent
Tabby
Pseudergolis
wedah
KOLLAR, 1844
Family -
NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
CYRESTINAE
Tribe -
PSEUDERGOLINI
Pseudergolis wedah
Darjeeling, India
© Haraprasan Nayak
Introduction
Some taxonomists elevate the tribe
Pseudergolini to subfamily status ( Pseudergolinae ), but in this treatment I
adopt the classification of Wahlberg who considers it to be a tribe of the
Cyrestinae, i.e. the Mapwings, Maplets and Daggerwings. The tribe comprises of 4
genera - Dichorragia, Amnosia,
Stibochiona and Pseudergolis,
all of which are Oriental in distribution.
The genus
Pseudergolis comprises of just 2 species - avesta,
which is endemic to Sulawesi; and the illustrated species
wedah, which is found in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, Thailand and China.
Habitats
This species is found in sub-tropical forest at altitudes
between about 1500-2300m.
Lifecycle
The larval foodplant is Debregeasia ( Urticaceae ).
Adult behaviour
Both sexes bask either on the ground, or on low foliage. They also settle on
twigs, facing head-downwards, to bask with wings outspread.
Males commonly settle on rocks,
boulders or bare soil to imbibe mineralised moisture, and are attracted to urine
and dung.
When feeding they generally keep their wings outspread, but hold them erect in
hot conditions as a means of thermoregulation.
The butterflies
often settle under leaves, and at these times always keep their wings fully
outspread - a feature they share with
their cousins in the genera Cyrestis and
Chersonesia ( tribe Cyrestini ).
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