The Yellow Gorgon, Meandrusa payeni ciminius (Fruhstorfer)

Fast-flying canopy dweller of pristine lowland dipterocarp forests up to mid-elevation. It is an unmistakable butterfly with its falcate forewing and a narrow tail giving it a sickle kite-like appearance, hence its other common name "kite swallowtail". The undersides are of a rich ferruginous ochre brown with a few small white spots on the HW post-discal area. The upperside post-discal area is marked with a series of darker brown spots on both wings. There is only one species in Malaysia.

Habitat indicator

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

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

2014
Jan	Feb	Mac	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct
					S2(F)	S2

2014

2015

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mac

Apr

May

June

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

S1

S1(H)

Above photos of a newly eclosed male on an open seepage: 11 Apr 2015 @ 12:15

12:55

12:56

Newly eclosed males have a tendency to puddle on the water's edge much like a Lamproptera where they can become quite oblivious to human presence. Their cryptic undersides protect them from view as they tend to look like a dead leaf on the water's edge. Older specimens are canopy dwellers and do not visit seepages to puddle but can be sporadically observed to make quick downward swoops on exposed seepages perhaps for a quick drink. Above photos 05 June 2015

Another male came to puddle on the same spot but unfortunately got spooked by my loud footsteps and it flew off: 20 June 2015 @ 12:59

Consult a male voucher specimen from Site 1:

http://nlliew66butterflies2.blogspot.my/2015/12/meandrusa-payeni-boisduval-1836.html

The Common Jays of Raub...

The Common Jay is a swift flyer and is quite commonly found together with the Common Bluebottle, Graphium sarpedon. However, there are a few distinctive species of Common Jays that are difficult to tell apart unless close scrutiny is given to the markings on their undersides...

Graphium euryplus mecisteus (Distant)

Graphium doson evemonides (Honrath). In comparison to Graphium euryplus, notice that  the black coastal bar is NOT united to the dark basal band on its hindwing.

Graphium evemon eventus (Fruhstorfer). Compare to the two precedents, this one does not have a red spot on its coastal area on the hindwings.

Graphium chironides malayanum (Eliot). This one also does not have a red spot on the coastal area of the hindwings but has a black bar that run through the vein 6. Notice that the red spots are replaced by faint orange spots that are narrower.

Graphium bathycles bathycloides (Honrath). This species has narrower blue spots on the forewings and a yellowish base on the hindwings in comparison to G. chironides and does not have the distinctive white spot on the base of space 3 on its hindwing.

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Below photo show the differences in Graphium arycles arycles (Boisduval) compared to the others precedent Graphiums in which this species is decidedly green in colour...

G. arycles form 02 June 2013 @ 11:24

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A mixed group of Graphiums: 28 April 2013 @ 12:10