Saturday, September 6, 2014

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.

*     *     *     *     *

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.


*     *     *     *     *
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

*     *     *     *     *

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...

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