Amathuxidia amythaon
Encyclopedia
The Koh-i-noor is a butterfly
found in Asia
. It belongs to the Morphinae
, a subfamily of the Brush-footed butterflies
.
from Sikkim
to Assam
and onto Myanmar
. The butterfly has a wide range in Southeast Asia
, from Malaysia to the Indonesia
n Archipelago (Sumatra
, Borneo
, Enggano and Java
) and the Philippines
(Leyte
, Samar
, Panaon
, Negros and Mindanao
).
Evans and Wynter-Blyth reported the butterfly to be rare west of Myanmar
in the early-mid 20th century.
Male upperside is brownish black with white cilia. A broad broad pale blue discal band extending from costa to near apex of vein 1. Hind wing uniform without markings. Underside pinkish buff, with the following dark brown lines crossing both fore and hind wing: basal, extending to little beyond the middle of vein 2 in the hind wing, subbasal crossing from subcostal of fore to median vein of hind wing, discal from costa of fore to near tornus of hind wing, postdiscal from costa of fore to tornus of hind wing, thence bending upwards at an angle and following the dorsal margin of hind wing, and subterminal somewhat indistinct on the fore, well-defined and broadening towards tornus of hind wing. In addition to these there are on the fore wing a short line of the same colour crossing the cell near apex and a discal line from costa to vein 2, and on the hind wing a large ochraceous postdiscal ocellus in interspace 2 and another in interspace 6. Antennae brown ; head, thorax and abdomen dark brown. Sex-marks a patch of specialized scales in cell, extending into interspaces 1 and 2, and a glandular fold near base of vein with a stifle brush of hairs beneath it.
Female has the upperside umber-brown. Fore wing with a band as in the male, but bright yellow, narrower, reaching to the tornus, its inner margin very irregularly zigzag and sinuous, a spot below it in the middle. Hind wing uniform, apex bright yellow. Underside as in the male, but the ground-colour paler.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
found in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. It belongs to the Morphinae
Morphinae
Morphinae is a subfamily of Nymphalidae butterflies that includes the morphos, the owl butterflies and related lineages. It is either considered a sister group of the Satyrinae, or disassembled and included therein.- Systematics :...
, a subfamily of the Brush-footed butterflies
Nymphalidae
The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called...
.
Distribution
The Koh-i-noor ranges from in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
from Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
to Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
and onto Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
. The butterfly has a wide range in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, from Malaysia to the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n Archipelago (Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, Enggano and Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
) and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
(Leyte
Leyte Island
Leyte is an island in the Visayas group of the Philippines.The island measures about 180 km north-south and about 65 km at its widest point. In the north it nearly joins Samar, separated by the San Juanico Strait, which becomes as narrow as 2 km in some places...
, Samar
Samar Island
Samar is an island in the Visayas, within the central Philippines. The island is divided into three provinces: Samar province, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar. These three provinces, along with the provinces on the nearby islands of Leyte and Biliran are part of the Eastern Visayas region...
, Panaon
Panaon Island
Panaon Island,Panaon Island is a small island in the Philippines, in the province of Southern Leyte. It lies south of Leyte, separated from Dinagat to the east, and Mindanao to the southeast by Surigao Strait. The Mindanao Sea lies to the southwest....
, Negros and Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
).
Evans and Wynter-Blyth reported the butterfly to be rare west of Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
in the early-mid 20th century.
Description
- See glossaryGlossary of Lepidopteran termsThis glossary describes the terms used in the formal descriptions of insect species, jargon used mostly by professionals or entomologist....
for terms used
Male upperside is brownish black with white cilia. A broad broad pale blue discal band extending from costa to near apex of vein 1. Hind wing uniform without markings. Underside pinkish buff, with the following dark brown lines crossing both fore and hind wing: basal, extending to little beyond the middle of vein 2 in the hind wing, subbasal crossing from subcostal of fore to median vein of hind wing, discal from costa of fore to near tornus of hind wing, postdiscal from costa of fore to tornus of hind wing, thence bending upwards at an angle and following the dorsal margin of hind wing, and subterminal somewhat indistinct on the fore, well-defined and broadening towards tornus of hind wing. In addition to these there are on the fore wing a short line of the same colour crossing the cell near apex and a discal line from costa to vein 2, and on the hind wing a large ochraceous postdiscal ocellus in interspace 2 and another in interspace 6. Antennae brown ; head, thorax and abdomen dark brown. Sex-marks a patch of specialized scales in cell, extending into interspaces 1 and 2, and a glandular fold near base of vein with a stifle brush of hairs beneath it.
Female has the upperside umber-brown. Fore wing with a band as in the male, but bright yellow, narrower, reaching to the tornus, its inner margin very irregularly zigzag and sinuous, a spot below it in the middle. Hind wing uniform, apex bright yellow. Underside as in the male, but the ground-colour paler.