Butterflies of
Thailand, Malaysia &
Borneo
Punchinello
Zemeros flegyas
CRAMER, 1780
Family - RIODINIDAE
subfamily -
RIODININAE
Tribe -
introduction
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habitats |
lifecycle |
adult behaviour
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Zemeros flegyas
albipunctatus, Ringlet, West Malaysia |
Introduction
This very attractive little butterfly, and
its relative emesoides are the only 2 species in
the genus Zemeros.
Zemeros
flegyas is found in India, Myanmar, Thailand, West Malaysia, Sumatra,
Borneo, Java, Sulawesi and Bali.
Habitats
This species is found in forested habitats
at elevations between sea level and about 1800 metres, but is most abundant
between about 500-1200m.
Lifecycle
The egg is white, smooth, and
laid singly on the underside of leaves of the foodplants
Maesa chisia and M.
montana ( Myrsinaceae ).
The caterpillar is ovoid and
very flattened. Each body segment is rounded, giving it a corrugated appearance.
It is pale green in all instars, and covered in short setae.
The chrysalis is smooth and
light green in colour, marked with small suffused dark green spots and dashes.
It is attached by a silken girdle to the underside of a leaf.
Adult behaviour
Both sexes are invariably
encountered singly, usually in open forest edge habitats, including in quarries,
regenerating forest clearings, along roadsides and in village gardens. They
often visit flowers, either at ground level or on bushes.
Males sometimes imbibe moisture
from the ground, but are usually seen when perched on foliage in their
characteristic posture, with wings held half open and the forewings canted
forward.
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