Tagiades japetus

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Pied flat
Common Snow flat -Wayanaad.jpg
Tagiades japetus obscurus from Kerala
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae
Genus: Tagiades
Species:
T. japetus
Binomial name
Tagiades japetus
(Stoll, 1782)
Synonyms
List
  • Tagiades jepetus(Stoll, [1781])
  • Papilio japetusStoll, [1781]
  • Tagiades janettaButler, 1870
  • Tagiades clericusButler, 1882
  • Tagiades kowaiaPlötz, 1885
  • Tagiades gameliaMiskin, 1889
  • Tagiades australensisMabille, 1891
  • Tagiades tindaliiRibbe, 1899
  • Tagiades bubasaSwinhoe, 1904
  • Tagiades hoviaSwinhoe, 1904
  • Tagiades louisaSwinhoe, 1907
  • Tagiades fergussoniusFruhstorfer, 1910
  • Tagiades inconspicuaRothschild, 1915
  • Tagiades vulcaniaEvans, 1934
  • Hesperia atticusFabricius, 1793
  • Tagiades utanusPlötz, 1885
  • Tagiades yotissaFruhstorfer, 1910
  • Tagiades rajaghraFruhstorfer, 1910
  • Pterygospidea japetus raviMoore, [1866]
  • Tagiades lugensMabille, 1883
  • Tagiades khasianaMoore, 1884
  • Tagiades epicharmusFruhstorfer, 1910
  • Tagiades obscurusMabille, 1876
  • Tagiades distansMoore, [1881]

Tagiades japetus, commonly known as the pied flat or the common snow flat, [1] is a species of spread-winged skipper butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae. It is widely distributed, being found from India, [2] the Himalayas, Southeast Asia, to Australia. It contains several recognized subspecies. [1] [3] [4] [5]

Description

Male. Upperside fuliginous-brown. Forewlng with three minute subapical white dots, one of them, sometimes two of them, often absent; a minute dot at the end of the cell, another near the base of the second median interspace, and a third below it, in the middle of the first median interspace, sometimes one, sometimes two of them only present, sometimes all are wanting. Hindwing with indications of a curved discal series of spots darker than the ground colour, often altogether invisible. Cilia of both wings brown. Underside. Forewlng paler than it is above, the hinder marginal area and a broad squarish patch at the hinder angle paler than the rest of the wing, the minute dots as above. Hindwing greyish-white, the costal and outer marginal areas somewhat suffused with brown; a curved series of dark brown discal spots, the lower ones usually mere dots, often invisible. Female. Upperside coloured like the male, but the shade of colour more variable in different examples in this sex than it is in the male, the sub-apical dots often larger (not always) and generally three in number; the spots in the disc much larger, the one at the end of the cell round, the outer spot near the base of the second median interspace usually conical, the one below it the largest and quadrate and two small spots lietween it and the hinder margin. Hindwing with an obscure blackish spot at the end of the cell and a discal series, all of them very indistinct in many examples. Underside. Forewing somewhat paler than the upperside, markings similar. Hindwing usually much darker grey, sometimes blue-grey, a small hlack dot at the end of the cell, in some examples a complete discal irregular series of black spots, but very variable in its prominence, and in many examples no better indicated than it is in the male; head and body above concolorous with the wings; palpi and body below concolorous with the hindwing.

—  Charles Swinhoe, Lepidoptera Indica . Vol. X [5]

Life cycle and ecology

The eggs are laid on the upper surface of young leaves. They hatch in about six days, whereupon they will construct a leaf shelter by cutting the edge of a leaf, folding a triangular piece back, and then attaching it with silk. During the day, they hide under this shelter and only emerge at night to feed. The larvae feed on leaves of vines belonging to the genus Dioscorea ; including Dioscorea transversa , Dioscorea alata , and Dioscorea numularia . They may make other shelters as they grow larger. After about 23 days, they pupate inside their final shelter, emerging as adults after 10 days. The adults are quick flyers, maintaining a height relatively close to ground, generally under large trees, often resting under the leaves. They are usually encountered resting underneath leaf surfaces. They feed on nectar from flowers during the morning. Mating is not seasonal and adults emerge all throughout the year. However, the population is greatest during the wet season. [6]

Distribution and habitat

Tagiades japetus have a wide range of occurrence. They are found from Sri Lanka and India to the Himalayas, and Indochina. They also occur throughout the Maritime Southeast Asia to the Philippines and down to Papua New Guinea and the surrounding islands, and northeastern Australia. [7] [1]

They are commonly found in the edges of rainforests, vine thickets, and sometimes in cultivated lands. [8]

Subspecies

Tagiades japetus contains several subspecies including the ones listed below with their common names and areas of distribution: [7] [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Savela, Markku. "Tagiades japetus (Stoll, [1781])". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  2. ↑ Varshney, R.K.; Smetacek, Peter (2015). A Synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India. New Delhi: Butterfly Research Centre, Bhimtal & Indinov Publishing. p. 31. doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.3966.2164. ISBN   978-81-929826-4-9.
  3. ↑ Watson, E. Y. (1891). Hesperiidae Indicae: being a reprint of descriptions of the Hesperiidae of India, Burma, and Ceylon. Madras: Vest and Company. pp. 93–94.
  4. ↑ Evans, W. H. (1949). A Catalogue of the Hesperiidae from Europe, Asia, and Australia in the British Museum. London: British Museum (Natural History). Department of Entomology. pp. 134–135.
  5. 1 2 PD-icon.svg One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain : Swinhoe, Charles (1912–1913). Lepidoptera Indica. Vol. X. London: Lovell Reeve and Co. pp. 40–45.
  6. ↑ Michael F. Braby (2000). Butterflies of Australia: Their Identification, Biology and Distribution. Csiro Publishing. ISBN   9780643102927.
  7. 1 2 Rienk de Jong & Colin Guy Treadaway (1993). "The Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera) of the Philippines". Zoologische Verhandelingen. 288: 3–125.
  8. ↑ Michael F. Braby (2004). The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia. Csiro Publishing. p.  36. ISBN   9780643090279. Tagiades japetus.
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