Butterfly of the month – July 2019
Tamil Yeoman
Tamil Yeoman (Cirrochroa thais) is a colorful and attractive butterfly species, an endemic to Western Ghats. The tawny colored creature with a dark brown outer ring is among 36 butterflies found in Western Ghats. They occur in moist deciduous, evergreen forests along with streams. It is declared as the state butterfly of the Indian state of Tamilnadu on June, 2019.
Size: 60-75 mm.
Male: Males often patrol the open forest edges and streams restlessly. Visit dam patches along the streams and forest roads. Active in high tree canopies but often descend down to animal droppings and overripe fruits. Both sexes readily come to flowers. It is migratory.
Habits: Fast, straight flight with few wing beats and long glide. It keeps the shelter of the wooded jungle and active along the forest streams.
Habitats: Prefer moist dense, evergreen forests of the hills, but also common at the foot of ghats. And open country above them.
Distribution: Tamil Yeoman is an endemic to Western Ghats Butterfly.
Egg: The female lays eggs one above the other.
Pupa: Is formed below the leaf surface or stem or on any hard surface, nearby in shady area.
Larva: In the eggs are laid in vertical chain of 8-10. Larva initially stays in group, below the leaf and often in shady area. Eating edges of soft tender leafs. Larva is known t pupate prematurely, if the food supply runs out.
Life Cycle:
Tamil Yeoman
Images credits : P. Mohanprasath, V. Sharan
Further readings:
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