Butterflies of
Thailand, Malaysia &
Borneo
Club Beak
Libythea myrrha
GODART, 1819
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
LIBYTHEINAE
introduction
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habitats |
lifecycle |
adult behaviour
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Libythea
myrrha hecura, Tapah Hills, West Malaysia |
Introduction
Most
taxonomists consider the Libytheinae to be one of the most primitive groups of butterflies,
being probably the first to branch from the Nymphalid evolutionary tree.
The
Libytheinae contains only 13 species worldwide. The 4 found in the Americas
(
carinenta which is found
across much of North and South America; and terena,
motya and fulvescens
all of which are found on islands in the Caribbean )
were transferred in 1943 to a new genus
Libytheana.
All of the Old World
Libytheinae are retained in Libythea.
These include one species on Mauritius, one in Africa, 2 on Madagascar, and one on
the Marquesas isles in Polynesia. One particularly successful species
celtis has an almost contiguous distribution from
Portugal to Japan.
Libythea
are characterised by having dark uppersides marked with orange streaks
and spots, and undersides cryptically marbled in shades of brown. The angular fw
apex is another feature common to all the species. By far the most
characteristic feature however is the long "beak" formed by the elongated labial
palpi. The palpi are sensory organs used for the detection of pheromones, and
are far more prominent in Libytheines than in any other group of butterflies.
There are 3 species in Malaysia
- geoffroy, myrrha and
narina, of which myrrha
is the commonest and most widespread, being found in
India, Sri Lanka, Assam, Burma, Thailand, West Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo and
western China.
Habitats
This species breeds in tropical and subtropical rainforest habitats at moderate
elevations - circa 200-1000m. It is sometimes seen along roadsides, in quarries,
or in village gardens.
Lifecycle
The eggs are tall, barrel shaped, and laid on
Celtis tetranda or C.
sinensis
( Ulmaceae ).
The
caterpillars are similar to those of Pierines, being green, cylindrical, and
covered in a layer of short fine setae. There is a thin yellow line along the
back of the abdominal segments, and another fine yellow line along the sides.
The
chrysalis is similar to that of Satyrines - smooth, elongated, and suspended by
the cremaster without the use of a silk girdle.
Adult behaviour
Unlike the African
Libythea labdaca, which is
migratory and is often seen in vast swarms,
myrrha is almost always
encountered as solitary individuals.
Males settle to
imbibe dissolved minerals from damp silicaceous rocks and stones
in quarries or along forest roads. If disturbed they fly up and settle
on twigs, where they are perfectly disguised as dead leaves,
but they soon return to feed on the ground once the danger has
passed.
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