Aulocera padma

Great Satyr
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Aulocera
Species: A. padma
Binomial name
Aulocera padma
Kollar, 1844

Great Satyr Aulocera padma is a Brown butterfly that ranges across the Himalayas to Assam, north Burma and western China.[1][2]

Range

The butterfly is found in the Himalayas from Shingarh, (Zhob, Safed Koh, Kurram, Gilgit, Chitral, India (Kumaon, Bhutan, Sikkim and Chumbi valleys) eastwards across to Abor valley, north Myanmar, west China and southeast Tibet .[1][3]

Status

As per Evans, it is "Not Rare" from Chitral to Sikkim, "Rare" in the eastern extremity of its range and "Rare" and "Very Rare" westwards.[3] Wynter-Blyth states it "Very abundant" in the Himalayas and Assam.[4]

Description

For a key to the terms used, see Glossary of entomology terms.

The Great Satyr is 70 to 98 mm in wingspan.[3] Dark brown above. With a white band across both wings. The upper hindwing is of even width throughout. It has a chequered fringe and a dark apical spot or ocellus on the forewing. The under hindwing is dark.[4]

Habits

The Great Satyr has a powerful graceful, flight and is easily recognised on the wing. It is found in all kinds of terrain above 4000 ft and prefers open areas especially on ridges and hilltops above 7500 ft:[4]

It is fond of settling, especially on roads and stones, and as it is not at all wary is very easy to catch. The male is a very quarrelsome insect and will often take up a position on some rock and chase after any butterfly that comes near.
— Col M.A. Wynter-Blyth, Butterflies of the Indian Region (1957)

Reproduction

The Great Satyr has two broods (unlike the others of its genus). The first brood appears from end April to the onset of the rainy season and is very common. The scarce second brood flies after the monsoon.[4]


References

  1. 1 2 Markku Savela's website on Lepidoptera Page on Aulocera genus. (Accessed on 05 Aug 2009).
  2. ↑ LepIndex shows this taxon as Satyrus swaha. LepIndex considers the genus Aulocera Butler, 1867; Ent. mon. Mag. 4: 121, TS: Satyrus brahminus Blanchard. to be a junior subjective synonym of Satyrus Latreille 1810 Cons. gén. Anim. Crust. Arach. Ins.: 355, 440, TS: Papilio actaea Linnaeus .
  3. 1 2 3 Evans, W.H. (1932). The Identification of Indian Butterflies (2nd ed.). Mumbai, India: Bombay Natural History Society. p. 116, ser no D11.2.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Wynter-Blyth, Mark Alexander (1957). Butterflies of the Indian Region. Bombay, India: Bombay Natural History Society. pp. 108–109. ISBN 978-8170192329..

See also

References

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