Common evening brown | |
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Wet-season form | |
Dry-season form | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Nymphalidae |
Genus: | Melanitis |
Species: | M. leda |
Binomial name | |
Melanitis leda | |
Synonyms | |
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Melanitis leda, the common evening brown, [1] [2] is a common species of butterfly found flying at dusk. The flight of this species is erratic. They are found in Africa, South Asia and South-east Asia extending to parts of Australia. [1] [2]
Wet-season form: Forewing: apex subacute; termen slightly angulated just below apex, or straight. Upperside brown. Forewing with two large subapical black spots, each with a smaller spot outwardly of pure white inwardly bordered by a ferruginous interrupted lunule; costal margin narrowly pale. Hindwing with a dark, white-centred, fulvous-ringed ocellus subterminally in interspace two, and the apical ocellus, sometimes also others of the ocelli, on the underside, showing through. [3]
Underside paler, densely covered with transverse dark brown striae; a discal curved dark brown narrow band on forewing; a post-discal similar oblique band, followed by a series of ocelli: four on the forewing, that in interspace 8 the largest; six on the hindwing, the apical and subtornal the largest. [3] [4]
Dry-season form: Forewing: apex obtuse and more or less falcate; termen posterior to falcation straight or sinuous. Upperside: ground colour similar to that in the wet-season form, the markings, especially the ferruginous lunules inwardly bordering the black sub-apical spots on forewing, larger, more extended below and above the black costa. Hindwing: the ocellus in interspace 2 absent, posteriorly replaced by three or four minute white subterminal spots. [3]
Underside varies in colour greatly. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen in both seasonal forms brown or greyish brown: the antennae annulated with white, ochraceous at apex. [3]
Resident butterflies are known to fight off visitors to the area during dusk hours. [5] This chase behaviour is elicited even by pebbles thrown nearby. [6]
The caterpillars feed on a wide variety of grasses including rice ( Oryza sativa ), bamboos, Andropogon , Rotboellia cochinchinensis, [7] Brachiaria mutica, [7] Cynodon , Imperata , and millets such as Oplismenus compositus , [8] Panicum and Eleusine indica . [9]
Adults feed mainly on nectar, and in rare cases visit rotting fruits. [10]
Mycalesis oculus, the red-disc bushbrown, is a satyrine butterfly found in southern India. It is similar in markings to Mycalesis adolphei but distinguished by the reddish band around the large apical spots on the upper forewings.
Mycalesis anaxias, the white-bar bushbrown, is a species of satyrid butterfly found in South and Southeast Asia. In South Asia, it inhabits Sikkim, eastwards through the hill-ranges to Assam, Cachar, Myanmar and Tenasserim. Also in southern India, in the Nilgiris and Travancore.
Ixias pyrene, the yellow orange tip, is a small butterfly of the family Pieridae, that is, the yellows and whites, which is found in Sri Lanka, India and southeast Asia.
Cepora nadina, the lesser gull, is a small to medium-sized butterfly of the family Pieridae, that is, the yellows and whites. The species was first described by Hippolyte Lucas in 1852. It is native to Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, Hainan, and southeast Asia.
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.
Hypolimnas misippus, the Danaid eggfly, mimic, or diadem, is a widespread species of nymphalid butterfly. It is well known for polymorphism and mimicry. Males are blackish with distinctive white spots that are fringed in blue. Females are in multiple forms that include male-like forms while others closely resemble the toxic butterflies Danaus chrysippus and Danaus plexippus.
Acytolepis puspa, the common hedge blue, is a small butterfly found in Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Thailand, 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.
Symbrenthia lilaea, the peninsular jester, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in South Asia and Southeast Asia. It forms a superspecies with Symbrenthia hippoclus. There are numerous regional forms in a poorly resolved taxonomy.
Lycaenopsis marginata, the margined hedge blue, is a small butterfly found in India that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family.
Cupha erymanthis, the rustic, is a species of brush-footed butterfly found in forested areas of tropical South Asia and Southeast Asia. The males and females are identical.
Melanitis zitenius, the great evening brown, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in Asia. The species is crepuscular.
Mycalesis mineus, the dark-brand bush brown, is a species of satyrine butterfly found in Asia.
Ypthima baldus, the common five-ring, is a species of Satyrinae butterfly found in Asia.
Melanitis phedima, the dark evening brown, is a species of butterfly found flying at dusk. The flight of this species is erratic. They are found in south and southeast Asia.
Vindula erota, the common cruiser, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in forested areas of tropical South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The Indian fritillary is a species of butterfly of the nymphalid or brush-footed family. It is usually found from south and southeast Asia to Australia.
Chitoria sordida, the sordid emperor, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in tropical Asia.
Junonia iphita, the chocolate pansy or chocolate soldier, is a butterfly found in Asia.
Auzakia is a monotypic butterfly genus in the family Nymphalidae. It contains the single species, Auzakia danava, the commodore, which is found from Tibet to Sumatra.
Callerebia dibangensis, the Roy’s argus or bright-eyed argus is a species of Satyrinae butterfly found in eastern Himalaya, India.