Butterflies of
Thailand, Malaysia &
Borneo
Autumn Leaf
Doleschallia bisaltide
CRAMER, 1777
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
NYMPHALINAE
Tribe - KALLIMINI
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Doleschallia
bisaltide pratipa, male,
Bukit Tapah, West Malaysia ©
Adrian Hoskins |
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 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 just
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, Myanmar, 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 0-1400m.
Lifecycle
The
fully grown caterpillar is black, adorned with short whorled spines. It has
a series of broken, broad white stripes along the back, and a pair of thin
broken off-white lines below the spiracles. The abdominal segments each carry a
large red tubercle below each spiracle. 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.
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Doleschallia
bisaltide pratipa, male,
Bukit Tapah, West Malaysia ©
Adrian Hoskins |
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.
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