Liphyra brassolis

Last updated

Moth butterfly
LiphyraBrassolis 701 1.jpg
Male (top), female and male underside
L. b. robusta.jpg
L. b. robusta, female from Ombulodata, North Gorontalo, Sulawesi
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Liphyra
Species:
L. brassolis
Binomial name
Liphyra brassolis
Westwood 1864

Liphyra brassolis, also known as the moth butterfly, is a butterfly found in South Asia, Southeast Asia and Australia that belongs to the lycaenid family. The larvae are predatory and feed on ant larvae. This is one of the largest species of lycaenid butterflies. Several disjunct populations across its wide distribution range are considered as subspecies. Never a common butterfly, specimens of this species are highly prized by collectors.

Contents

Description

Liphyra brassolis fia.png

Forewing: costa arched; apex subacute; termen convex; tornus rounded; dorsum sinuate, ciliated, about three-fourths the length of the costa; cell about half the length of the wing; vein 6 out of 7 beyond apex of cell, upper discocellular therefore absent, middle and lower discocellulars subequal, vertical; vein 7 ends on termen well below apex of wing; vein 8 out of 7, from apical half, ends on costa before apex of wing; vein 9 out of 7 from just before middle; veins 10 and 11 free; vein 12 terminates well beyond end of cell on costa. [1]

Hindwing: irregularly pear shaped; costa slightly but widely angulated near base, then straight to apex; termen strongly rounded, tornus well marked, produced into a lobe; dorsum long, slightly convex; cell about half length of wing; middle discocellular short, concave, lower twice length of middle, strongly oblique; vein la very short, ends before middle of dorsum: vein 3 from well before lower apex of cell; vein 7 at base much closer to apex of cell than to base of wing; vein 8 very slightly arched near base, then straight to apex of wing. Antennae about half length of forewing, no distinct club but gradually increasing to apex; palpi porrect (forward pointing), gradually tapering to apex, third joint of moderate length, as thick at base as apex of second joint; eyes naked; body heavy and robust, reminding one in its stoutness of the body of Charaxes. [1]

Habits

Liphyra brassolis grows in the nests of ants, especially of tree ants ( Oecophylla smaragdina and other species). The caterpillar has tiny antennae-like structures whose function is not known. The adult butterfly at emergence is covered in grey powdery scales which protect it from the ants. Eggs are laid singly or in groups of about six, on the underside of branches of a tree with ants' nest. The eggs are tiny pale green cylinders of 1 mm height.

Distribution

The species occurs from India to the Philippines, including the tropical coast of Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland.

Life history

Egg

"Very unlike that of other Lycaenidae but shows an unexpected resemblance to that of Logania, Distant, and Taraka, Doherty. It is of great size, green overlaid with white, shaped something like a section or drum of a Doric column but somewhat widest at the base, the height, breadth at apex and breadth at base being to each other as 9, 13 and 15.5. The top is marked with hexagonal reticulations, the lines turbinate in the middle, the margin deeply channeled and then strongly carinate. Sides crusted with white and minutely indented with about forty-five vertical ribs, slightly irregular and even (very rarely) anastomosing, extending also over the outer part of the base, the inner part being green and minutely reticulated with hexagons." (Doherty) [1]

Larva

Oval flattened and slug like with a hard and smooth covering. The caterpillars can devour the entire broods of green ant nests. The protective orange carapace is virtually impervious to the bites of soldier ants and it is so heavy that the ants cannot flip it over to get at the caterpillar's soft underbody. Once the caterpillar transforms into a butterfly inside the nest, its soft body is vulnerable to the ants who can swarm and dismember intruders. However, as the butterfly quickly moves toward an exit, it is protected by white scales from its new wings; the scales are slippery enough to prevent most ants from getting a foothold and these scales stick to the ants' jaws, disorienting and distracting them.

"The jaws would most effectively take hold of the skin of an ant larva, piercing its skin at the same time in six places; they would then draw the piece so seized within the closed cavity formed between the labrum, labium and (laterally) maxillae so that the juices of the larva could be easily sucked out." (T. A. Chapman) [1]

Pupa

"The pupa inside lies quite free from any attachment to the skin, but the ventral depression of the pupa is due to its having to fit on the ventral aspect of the larval skin, which is raised centrally by the head, legs, prolegs etc. The larval skin dehisces by cracking round the marginal crest in front, by a crack across the front of the three ridges, i.e. between third and fourth abdominal segments. The semicircular portion thus marked off again divides longitudinally into two portions." (T. A. Chapman) [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lycaenidae</span> Family of butterflies

Lycaenidae is the second-largest family of butterflies, with over 6,000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 30% of the known butterfly species.

<i>Talicada nyseus</i> Species of butterfly

Talicada nyseus, the red Pierrot, is a small but striking butterfly found in the Indian subcontinent and South-East Asia belonging to the lycaenids, or blues family. The red Pierrots, often found perching on its larva host plant, Kalanchoe, are usually noticed due to their striking patterns and colors.

<i>Graphium antiphates</i> Species of butterfly

Graphium antiphates, the five-bar swordtail, is a species of papilionid butterfly found in south and southeast Asia. The species was first described by Pieter Cramer in 1775.

<i>Curetis thetis</i> Species of butterfly

Curetis thetis, the Indian sunbeam, is a species of lycaenid or red butterfly found in Indomalayan realm.

<i>Baltia shawi</i> Species of butterfly

Baltia shawi, the Shaw's dwarf, is a small butterfly of the family Pieridae, that is, the yellows and whites. It is found at high altitudes in Central Asia.

<i>Catopsilia pomona</i> Species of butterfly

Catopsilia pomona, the common emigrant or lemon emigrant, is a medium-sized pierid butterfly found in Asia and parts of Australia. The species gets its name from its habit of migration. Some early authors considered them as two distinct species Catopsilia crocale and Catopsilia pomona.

<i>Catopsilia pyranthe</i> Species of butterfly

Catopsilia pyranthe, the mottled emigrant, is a medium-sized butterfly of the family Pieridae found in south Asia, southeast Asia, and parts of Australia.

<i>Allotinus drumila</i> Species of butterfly

Allotinus drumila, the crenulate darkie, is a small butterfly found in India, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Yunnan (China) that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family.

<i>Tarucus theophrastus</i> Species of butterfly

Tarucus theophrastus, the common tiger blue, pointed Pierrot or African Pierrot, is a small butterfly found in the Old World tropics. It belongs to the lycaenids or blues family.

<i>Chilades lajus</i> Species of butterfly

Chilades lajus, the lime blue, is a small butterfly found in India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Hainan, Mangulam Island, Sulawesi and the Philippines that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family.

<i>Jamides bochus</i> Species of butterfly

Jamides bochus, the dark cerulean, is a small butterfly found in Indomalayan realm that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family. The species was first described by Caspar Stoll in 1782.

<i>Jamides celeno</i> Species of butterfly

Jamides celeno, the common cerulean, is a small butterfly found in Indomalayan realm belonging to the lycaenids or blues family. The species was first described by Pieter Cramer in 1775.

<i>Junonia hierta</i> Species of butterfly

Junonia hierta, the yellow pansy, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in the Palaeotropics. It is usually seen in open scrub and grassland habitats.

<i>Acytolepis puspa</i> Species of butterfly

Acytolepis puspa, the common hedge blue, is a small butterfly found in Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapur, Yunnan, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Borneo and New Guinea that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family. The species was first described by Thomas Horsfield in 1828.

<i>Lycaenopsis marginata</i> Species of butterfly

Lycaenopsis marginata, the margined hedge blue, is a small butterfly found in India that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family.

Celastrina albocoeruleus, the albocerulean, is a small butterfly found in India that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family.

<i>Dodona</i> (butterfly) Genus of butterflies

Dodona, the Punches, are a genus of butterflies found in Asia. The genus was erected by William Chapman Hewitson in 1861.

<i>Curetis bulis</i> Species of butterfly

Curetis bulis, the bright sunbeam, is a species of butterfly belonging to the lycaenid family. It is found in Asia.

<i>Petrelaea dana</i> Species of butterfly

Petrelaea dana, the dingy lineblue, is a species of lycaenid butterfly found in Indomalayan realm.

<i>Junonia iphita</i> Species of butterfly

Junonia iphita, the chocolate pansy or chocolate soldier, is a butterfly found in Asia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Bingham, C.T. (1907). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Vol. II (1st ed.). London: Taylor and Francis, Ltd.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.