Butterflies of
Thailand, Malaysia &
Borneo
Shimmering
Silverstreak
Iraota distanti
STAUDINGER, 1889
Family - LYCAENIDAE
subfamily -
THECLINAE
Tribe - THECLINI
subtribe - AMBLYPODIITI
introduction
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habitats |
lifecycle |
adult behaviour
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Iraota
distanti,
Bukit Tapah,
West Malaysia |
Introduction
There are 6
members of the genus Iraota, all
endemic to the Oriental region. The commonest and most
widespread is timoleon which is
distributed from India and Sri Lanka to China.
Iraota distanti is one of the
rarest and most elusive members of the genus, confined to
Thailand, West Malaysia and Sumatra.
The male has a
deep purple sheen across the upper surface of the wings, and
wide black borders. In females the sheen extends all the way to
the margins, and is of a bluer hue. The underside of both sexes
is ochreous, marked with about a dozen silvery white spots, each
of which is edged with black. Both sexes possess a pair of short
tails on each hindwing.
Habitats
This species is found in primary rainforest, at elevations
between sea level and about 300m.
Lifecycle
The following lifecycle notes refer to the related species
Iraota rochana, and may not
necessarily be totally applicable to
distanti :
The eggs are laid singly on stems or on the underside of leaves
of Ficus ( Moraceae ). They are
bright yellow, bun-shaped, and covered in a honeycomb of
numerous small hexagonal pits.
The larvae are
shaped like medicinal capsules but with the segments slightly
corrugated. They are pale green in colour, and in some examples
are marked with a suffused reddish band on the 5th abdominal
segment.
The chrysalis
is the usual plump and rounded Lycaenid shape, and is dark
brown, heavily mottled and marbled with greyish. It is attached
by the cremaster to a silk pad spun on a leaf or twig.
Adult behaviour
Both sexes of
distanti are extremely elusive
as they spend most of their lives at the tops of trees. Finding
the adults involves visiting places where it is possible to look
down on trees from above. Getting the photograph of the female
depicted above necessitated climbing a steep dam wall, from
where it was possible to overlook trees at the river's edge. The
butterfly was basking on a leaf near the top of the tree,
several feet from the spot where I balanced very precariously,
holding a branch with one hand, while operating the camera with
the other. If I had lost my grip or overbalanced I would have
fallen onto the boulder-strewn riverbed 100 feet below me and
would certainly have been killed. I do NOT advise anyone else to
be quite so stupid !
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