Butterflies of
Thailand, Malaysia &
Borneo
Orange Harlequin
Taxila haquinus
FABRICIUS, 1793
Family - RIODINIDAE
subfamily -
RIODININAE
Tribe - RIODININI
introduction
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habitats |
lifecycle |
adult behaviour
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Taxila
haquinus,
Taman Negara, West Malaysia |
Introduction
The name Taxila is
an anagram of another Riodinid genus
Laxita - it is common practice
among the less imaginative
taxonomists to create anagrammatical names for new genera, if
they are closely related to an existing one.
The genus
Taxila was erected to house 2
species haquinus and
dora which differ from
Laxita in that the genitalia of the
males are of a different shape. In order to
ensure that each species only breeds with others of its own
type, every species of butterfly has uniquely shaped genitalia -
the male key only fitting the correct female lock.
Any 2 or more species with the same design of genitalia must
therefore be very closely related, and so are placed in the same
genus. The reverse is equally true - any species that have
differently shaped genitalia will be unable to copulate with
each other, and so must belong to a different genus.
Taxila haquinus is widespread in
south-east Asia, being found in Assam, Myanmar, Thailand, West
Malaysia, Sumatra, Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei, Kalimantan, Palawan
and Java.
Habitats
This species is found in primary rainforest, often close to
rivers or waterfalls, at elevations between about 100-500
metres.
Lifecycle
The pale yellowish-green eggs are almost spherical but slightly
flattened at the base. They are laid singly on the underside of
a leaf of the foodplant.
The caterpillar
when young is pale yellowish green with the darker green
internal parts visible through the translucent skin, which bears
numerous long setae. It feeds nocturnally, nibbling out tiny
holes in the leaves of its foodplant
Ardisia elliptica ( Myrsinaceae ) -
an evergreen tree known as shoebutton.
When fully
grown it is a dirty reddish colour, with suffused pale dots, and
a thin whitish dorsal line, edged either side with dark grey. On
each body segment, apart from the anal segment, there is a large
fleshy lateral protrusion, from which emerges a tuft of setae.
The chrysalis
is bright yellowish-green, decorated with many darker green
spots, and has tufts of setae emerging from each body segment.
It is formed on the under surface of a leaf.
Adult behaviour
Orange
Harlequins are usually found singly, in shady areas of dense
forest, close to streams or rivers. The females have a habit of flitting from leaf to leaf and stopping with
half-opened wings whilst walking jerkily over the leaf surface.
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