Butterflies of
Thailand, Malaysia &
Borneo
Banded Yeoman
Cirrochroa orissa
FELDER & FELDER, 1860
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
HELICONIINAE
Tribe -
VAGRANTINI
introduction
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habitats |
lifecycle |
adult behaviour
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Cirrochroa orissa orissa,
Taman Negara, West Malaysia |
Introduction
The genus Cirrochroa comprises of
18 species, of which 15 occur in the Oriental region, plus 2 on
Papua New Guinea, and one on the island of Biak.
Cirrochroa orissa is the commonest
and most widespread member of the genus in Malaysia, and also
occurs in Myanmar, Thailand, Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Habitats
This species occurs in forest edge habitats at elevations
between sea level and about 1000 metres but is much commoner at
elevations below 400m.
Lifecycle
The egg is
melon-shaped, shiny and pearly white; and adorned with several
vertical rows of tiny tubercles. It is laid singly on leaves of
the foodplant Hydnocarpus (
Flacourtiaceae ).
The head,
thorax and and rear section of the larva are golden yellow,
while the middle section is dark red. The thorax and abdomen
bear several rows of long black multi-branched spines, each
tipped with white.
The chrysalis
is a most extraordinary object - it is white, mottled with
black, and is adorned with numerous long white motile filaments
n the back and sides, and looks remarkably like a piece of
lichen or a fungal growth.
Adult behaviour
This species is usually seen in one's and two's flying around
forest edges, or along forest roads and tracks, often in the
company of Cupha erymanthis. Like
that species, it commonly settles on foliage to bask with the
wings held almost fully open.
Males can also
be found imbibing moisture from forest tracks, preferring areas
of dappled sunlight, but do not normally visit sandbanks. They
appear to be territorial in behaviour in as much as they will
spend several days occupying a particular spot along a forest
trail.
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