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Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007, and must not be published in part or in whole elsewhere without prior written permission from the author.
Butterflies of Malaysia and Borneo
 
Autumn Leaf
Doleschallia bisaltide CRAMER, 1777
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily - NYMPHALINAE
Tribe - NYMPHALINI
 
 introduction | habitats | lifecycle | adult behaviour
 
Doleschallia bisaltide pratipa, male, Tapah Hills, West Malaysia
 
Introduction
 
Butterflies in the Indo-Australian genera Doleschallia and Kallima, and in 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 dead-leaf colouration bears a remarkable resemblance to a dead fallen leaf, complete with a "midrib", and markings resembling patches of mould and leaf galls.
 
The genus Doleschallia comprises about 8 described species, although the status of some of these is questionable, some authors considering that at least 4 of them are merely subspecies of bisaltide.
 
Both sexes are very similar, and on the upperside are orange-brown, except for the subapical area, which is blackish.
 
The butterfly occurs in India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, West Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, Palawan, Sulawesi and north-eastern Australia. In New Guinea it is replaced by other Doleschallia species - dascylus, dascon, noorna and hexophthalmos.
 
Habitats
 
This species breeds in primary and secondary rainforest at altitudes between sea level and about 1400m.
 
Lifecycle
 
The fully grown caterpillar is black, adorned with short whorled spines, and has a double row of white spots along the back. The head is steely blue. It feeds gregariously on plants including Artocarpus ( jack fruit ), Pseuderanthemum, Calycanthus, and Graptophyllum ( Acanthaceae ).
 
The caterpillars are parasitised by Chalcid wasps, which emerge after the larvae has pupated.
 
Adult behaviour

 

The butterflies have a strong, direct and very rapid flight. They are usually encountered singly along forest roads, small clearings, orang-asli villages, and small quarries within forested areas.

 

Males imbibe moisture from damp sand and rocks on riverbanks and roadsides. If disturbed they fly up rapidly but re-settle nearby on walls or tree trunks, assuming a downward-facing posture, with wings closed.

 
                                                        
In common with most other butterflies in Malaysia, Borneo and Palawan, the habitats of this species are severely endangered. Rainforest only remains on the steepest mountain-sides, and at a small number of nature reserves. Many of the reserves are now threatened with reclassification and subsequent exploitation at the hands of major international companies.
 
Tragically, the huge areas of tropical rainforest which once covered the lowlands of West Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak have been almost entirely cleared, with only a few "islands" of original forest remaining, surrounded by vast oil palm plantations.
 
The forests of Kalimantan ( the Indonesian sector of Borneo ) have suffered a similar fate, and what little remains is now under severe threat,
as the protected status of nature reserves is being revoked to make way for concession areas that will be subjected to open cast coal mines, logging, and clearance for immense oil palm plantations to satisfy the demand for bio-diesel fuel.
 
The extent of the devastation is immense, and the consequences catastrophic, not only for butterflies, but also for orang-utans, proboscis monkeys, hornbills, and myriads of other mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and insects - our natural heritage is being annihilated.
 
You can help prevent further devastation - please lobby your governments, and contact the rainforest conservation organisations who organise on-line petitions and use scientific evidence to apply pressure to the governments of Malaysia and Indonesia to halt the devastation.
 
 
Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007-2008, and must not be reproduced or published in part or in whole elsewhere in any form without written permission from Adrian Hoskins. Breach of copyright will be pursued by litigation.
 
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