Wednesday, May 29, 2013

The Common Batwing, Atrophaneura varuna varuna (White)

Uncommon and very seasonal. Atrophaneuras display seasonal abundance which may fluctuate according to certain years and in certain locality in general. This is the commonest of the genus in Raub. While solitary males may come down to puddle, females are more often encountered visiting flowers in the later part of the afternoon at the edge of forests and villages.

Habitat indicator
RSP
WV
PG
VF
FTR
SC
LWDF
LWPF
LMEF
UMN
MN







 x



Frequency observation chart: (S marks the usual occurences, H marks an unusually high occurence, F for first record)
2013
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct


S1F
S1S3





2013
2014
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct




S1

S2S2S2HS2
2014
2015
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
June
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
S1S3
S1S3








S3


S3
2016
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec






S2





2017
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec


 S1S2
 S1





S5



2018
Jan
Feb
Mac
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec













27 May 2013 @ 11:17

I saw this rather smallish "batwing" (against the birdwings) at a butterfly park in the Cameron Highlands and wondered if I'll ever see one in the wild. Well, this was the first puddler that greeted me when I started my trek today (29 May 2013). It was rather shy and elusive and I had to trek it for a good half an hour before it settled comfortably in my presence and allowed some reasonable shots of it (side views and glimpse of its uppersides which permitted a clear identification). It was puddling with a rather pale pink Common Rose and from far, when I spotted it, I thought it was a tailess Common Rose but then, it struck me that the insect was completely dark from afar without any carmine markings on its hindwings except for its neck and body. I then realize I had some work to be done...


Compare the similarity of the body markings to this Common Rose...

The two were puddling together...


Above 2 photos of a female from a Lantana bush on the roadside on 14 June 2013 @ 17:00.

A female sunning itself: 27 July 2014 @ 10:17


Above 2 photos of a worn male: 30 July 2014 @ 12:43-53

16 August 2014 @ 13:39

A few females were seen depositing eggs on this climber under the canopy (Nov 2014)

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