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Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007, and must not be published in part or in whole elsewhere without prior written permission from the author.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
 
Godart's Jungle Glory
Thaumantis odana GODART, 1824
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily - MORPHINAE
Tribe - AMATHUSIINI
 
 introduction | habitats | lifecycle | adult behaviour
 
Thaumantis odana, Poring hot springs, Sabah, Borneo
 
Introduction
 
The deep purple-blue sheen on the upperside wings, and the combination of a large ocellus and a prominent lunule on the underside hindwings are visible characteristics that demonstrate the close relationship this genus has with the Brassolini ( Owl butterflies ) of South America.
 
The 26 species of Amathusiini occurring on peninsular Malaysia include 3 Thaumantis species - klugius, noureddin and odana. All have a similar pattern on the underside, but differ in the extent of the blue colouration on the upperside. In odana this is confined to a diagonal band of sapphire blue on the forewings; in klugius almost the entire upper surface has a purple-blue iridescence; and noureddin is distinguished by it's more angular apex and the row of suffused orange submarginal lunules on it's forewings.
 
Thaumantis odana is found in peninsular Malaya, Borneo and Java.
 
Habitats
 
This species is found in wet rainforest habitats, usually in association with bamboo thickets, at altitudes between about 100-1600m.
 
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, sugar cane, ginger or other monocotyledons. In the case of odana the regularity with which the species is found in bamboo thickets would appear to indicate that bamboo is the probable foodplant.
 
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 of a typical Amathusiine is smooth textured, shaped like a plump banana, and is suspended by the cremaster from woody stems.
 
Adult behaviour

 

Jungle Glories are crepuscular in nature, and spend the major part of the day at rest, hiding amongst dead leaves and woody stems beneath bushes in the depths of the rainforest. There they are extremely difficult to spot, as the disruptive pattern and mixture of brown, cream and bluish tones on the underside is the perfect camouflage against the wet leaf litter. If disturbed they suddenly appear before the eyes as a flash of intense deep purplish-blue zig-zagging rapidly just above the surface of the ground, and then just as suddenly disappear again.

 
                                                        
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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