The Tawny Coster, Acraea terpsicore (L.)

A fast spreading invader from the North and was only recently recorded in 2014. However, it did not have any foothold despite abundant food plant and wastelands (aggressive use of herbicides and pesticides perhaps). Seasonal in Raub and localised to patches of undisturbed wasteland where Passiflora foetida abounds.

Habitat indicator

RSP	WV	PG	VF	FTR	SC	LWDF	LWPF	LMEF	UMN	MN
	x

Frequency observation chart: (S marks the usual occurence, H marks an unusually high occurence, F for first record)

2013		2014
Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mac	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct
										S9(F)

2014

2015

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mac

Apr

May

June

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

2016
Jan	Feb	Mac	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
									S9	S9	S6

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

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

This is a butterfly of roadsides and wasteland, the following pictures were taken from a busy roadside with a patch of flowering Lantana. It was not seen earlier in 2013 in the vicinity of Raub. Two males and one female were observed hovering over a few large bushes of Lantana intervowen with Passiflora foetida, one of its known host plant.

Above 3 photos of a male: 07 September 2014 @ 11:17-11:20. When resting, they have a tendancy to open their wings in a delta formation much like a moth.

Above 2 photos of a smaller male: 7 September 2014 @ 11:48

Above 2 photos of a female: 7 September 2014 @ 11:54. The female is much paler in colour compared to the males.

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11:42

11:42

 11:43

 11:43

 11:45

11:45 - a mating pair

Above photos from a newly discovered colony in an undisturbed wasteland near town.

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Caterpillars of diverse instars were seen feeding together in vicinity on Passiflora foetida as well as a hairy climber that grows in the same place.

a pupa nearby

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This last instar practically morphed into a pupa in front of my eyes...

getting ready to shed its outer skin

shed its skin in a few minutes...and was still wriggling...

calmed down...