In flight mimics closely an Euploea mulciber male. At a glance resembles very much E. casiphone and E. patna especially the uppersides but the undersides differs in having more regular striation (below specimen was IDed by M. Inayoshi).
Very rare jungle insects confined to deep lowland forest. On record possibly introduced from Thailand through plant imports (pandan coconut - E. malelas was known to breed on coconut palm in Thailand) but this should not be the case as the below male was photographed from within the deepest recess of a remote hill on the Main Range in Raub.
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)
2016
|
|||||||||||
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mac
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
S1F
|
|||||||||||
2017
|
|||||||||||
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mac
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
S1
|
S23
|
S1
|
|||||||||
2018
|
|||||||||||
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mac
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
2019
|
|||||||||||
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mac
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
13:26
13:28
13:28
Above pictures of a male seen at 300M above sea level.
* * * * *
13:47
13: 49
Above pictures 28 May 2017
* * * * *
Their numbers suddenly spiked in 2017 and the insect seems to prefer rather disturbed environment near bamboo and palms.
Above pictures 28 May 2017
Consult the voucher specimen: http://nlliew66butterflies2.blogspot.my/2016/04/elymnias-malelas-malelas-hewitson-1863.html
No comments:
Post a Comment