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Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007, and must not be published in part or in whole elsewhere without prior written permission from the author.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
 
Wavy-line Glory
Melanocyma faunula WESTWOOD, 1858
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily - MORPHINAE
Tribe - AMATHUSIINI
 
 introduction | habitats | lifecycle | adult behaviour
 
Melanocyma faunula faunula, Tapah, West Malaysia
 
Introduction
 
In the Oriental and Australian regions, the subfamily Morphinae ( which includes the brilliant blue Morphos and giant Owl butterflies of the neotropics ) is represented by the tribe Amathusiini - which also includes the genera Faunis, Taenaris, Amathusia, Thauria, Zeuxidia, Amathuxidia, Thaumantis, Discophora and Enispe.
 
The genus Melanocyma includes just a single instantly recognisable species - faunula. It is a fairly large insect, with a wingspan of about 9cms.
 
The butterfly occurs in Burma, Thailand and peninsular Malaysia.
 
Habitats
 
This species breeds in primary rainforest at altitudes between about 100-1500m.
 
Lifecycle
 
There does not appear to be any published data regarding the early stages of this species, but the following generalisations apply to the tribe Amathusiini, and are probably applicable :
 
The eggs are laid in clusters on the foodplants, which according to species may be palms, banana, bamboo, sugar cane, ginger or other monocotyledons.
 
The caterpillars are typically cylindrical and covered in fine dense hairs ( setae ). There are tufts of longer hair along the back, and on the thorax. The tail end bears a pair of prominent caudal forks, used to flick droppings away from the feeding site. When young the caterpillars feed gregariously, and if alarmed raise their foreparts to expose a gland from which noxious anti-predator pheromones are disseminated.
 
The chrysalis is smooth, and shaped like a plump banana, and is suspended by the cremaster from woody stems.
 
Adult behaviour

 

The butterflies are always encountered singly, and usually seen flying around forest edge habitats or sunny glades. They have a slowish wing beat, but fly rapidly over short distances, nearly always settling on the foliage of trees at heights of between 4 - 8m above ground level. Males show territorial tendencies, and are very reluctant to leave the vicinity of favoured trees.

 

Note : this species is wrongly captioned as Taenaris horsfieldii in "Butterflies of the Malay Peninsula" by Corbet & Pendlebury ( 1992 ), plate 18.

 
                                                        
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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