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Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007, and must not be published in part or in whole elsewhere without prior written permission from the author.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
 
Malay Red Harlequin
Paralaxita damajanti FELDER & FELDER, 1860
Family - RIODINIDAE
subfamily - RIODININAE
Tribe -
 
 introduction | habitats | lifecycle | adult behaviour
 
Paralaxita damajanti damajanti, Taman Negara, West Malaysia
 
Introduction
 
The the beautiful Malay Red Harlequin is something of an enigma. This stunningly marked butterfly, resplendent in crimson, black and glittering metallic blue, inhabits the very darkest corners of the jungle undergrowth, where it's dazzling colours cannot be seen ! The observer therefore cannot help asking "what is the purpose of the colour ?"
 
Butterflies use brilliant colours for a variety of purposes - to attract the attention of potential mates, to advertise their unpalatability, or to confuse, startle or warn avian predators. They also tend to occupy sunlit areas where their colours and patterns can be shown to their best advantage. Not so with this species, which is normally seen only as a silhouette in the shadowy world it inhabits, and where it's flight is so quick and erratic that it is almost impossible to see where it has settled.
 
The explanation for the striking appearance could be connected to the fact that insects can see well beyond the visible spectrum, into the ultra-violet. In semi darkness the butterfly is almost invisible to mammalian, reptilian or avian eyes, but the distinctive pattern and contrasting colours may reflect a strong ultra-violet trademark that could be essential to enable potential mates to locate each other.
 
The genus Paralaxita contains 4 species - damajanti, telesia, orphna and dora. There are 2 other closely related genera with very similar species - Laxita, and Taxila. All the species in these 3 genera are confined to Sundaland, the geographical region which encompasses Thailand, peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, Palawan and Java.
 
Paralaxita damajanti occurs in peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo.
 
Habitats
 
This species occurs in dense rainforest at altitudes between about 200-1200m.
 
Lifecycle
 
The early stages appear to be unknown.
 
Adult behaviour

 

The butterflies are very difficult to locate, and invariably encountered singly. They are usually seen when accidentally disturbed while the entomologist is hacking through thick undergrowth with a machete, at which time they suddenly take flight and resettle a few metres away in darkness, on the surface of a leaf.

 
                                                        
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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