Euthalia aconthea
Encyclopedia
The Common Baron - often called simply "baron" - is a medium-sized nymphalid
butterfly
native to India
and Southeast Asia
. It flies with stiff wing beats and often glides. The wing is not flapped very far below the horizontal.
The male is brown with slight traces of olive. The forewing has two transverse short black lines at the base, a black loop across the middle, and another beyond apex of cell, with their centres dark brown, followed by an angulated discal dark brown band bordered outwardly by a series of five white spots; two preapical white spots beyond and a broad, somewhat diffuse, subterminal black band broadening over the apex and angulated inwards in interspace 1. Hind wing shaded with dark brown at base, two crescent-shaped dark brown loop-like marks in cell; a discal series of dark brown, elongate, outwardly acute, inwardly diffuse, somewhat hastate spots, followed by a subterminal series of small spots of the same colour. Underside ochraceous brown. Fore wing on the underside shows five transverse slender black lines across cell; a black spot below median vein; discal and preapical white spots as on the upperside, succeeded by a postdiscal series of somewhat diffuse crescent-shaped black marks, and a broad terminal pale lilac band not reaching the apex, bordered narrowly along the termen with dark brown. Hind wing with four or five slender black loops at base, a posteriorly obsolescent postdiscal series of diffuse black marks and a subterminal series of black dots; the termen near apex touched with pale lilac. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen dark brown, the antennae ochraceous at the tip, the body paler beneath.
The female is similar but of a paler shade. Upperside forewing differs from that of the male in the absence of the dark discal and subterminal bands, and in the series of discal spots being elongate, much larger. The hind wing has the discal series of outwardly pointed black-markings only as traces. Underside similar to that of the male, but the groundcolour more ochraceous, the markings larger, more diffuse.
Race vasanta, Moore is found in Sri Lanka
. It resembles the nominate race, but in the male the white spots on the fore wing are entirely absent, above and below ; the discal hand on both fore and hind wing on the upperside is more irregular and not nearly so well-defined ; on the fore wing the interspace between it and the subterminal band and on the hind wing the posterior half suffused with dark green 5 the terminal margin of the fore and anterior half of the hind wing tinged with pink. Underside similar, but both the ground-colour and markings paler; the latter less prominent. Female. Differs prominently on both upper and under sides in the discal row of white spots being more oblique and complete, extending from the costa to near the apex of interspace 2.
Race acontius is found in the Andaman Islands
.
The wing expanse is 68-79 mm.
where it is sometimes treated as a minor pest.
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...
butterfly
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...
native to India
India
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...
and 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...
. It flies with stiff wing beats and often glides. The wing is not flapped very far below the horizontal.
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
The male is brown with slight traces of olive. The forewing has two transverse short black lines at the base, a black loop across the middle, and another beyond apex of cell, with their centres dark brown, followed by an angulated discal dark brown band bordered outwardly by a series of five white spots; two preapical white spots beyond and a broad, somewhat diffuse, subterminal black band broadening over the apex and angulated inwards in interspace 1. Hind wing shaded with dark brown at base, two crescent-shaped dark brown loop-like marks in cell; a discal series of dark brown, elongate, outwardly acute, inwardly diffuse, somewhat hastate spots, followed by a subterminal series of small spots of the same colour. Underside ochraceous brown. Fore wing on the underside shows five transverse slender black lines across cell; a black spot below median vein; discal and preapical white spots as on the upperside, succeeded by a postdiscal series of somewhat diffuse crescent-shaped black marks, and a broad terminal pale lilac band not reaching the apex, bordered narrowly along the termen with dark brown. Hind wing with four or five slender black loops at base, a posteriorly obsolescent postdiscal series of diffuse black marks and a subterminal series of black dots; the termen near apex touched with pale lilac. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen dark brown, the antennae ochraceous at the tip, the body paler beneath.
The female is similar but of a paler shade. Upperside forewing differs from that of the male in the absence of the dark discal and subterminal bands, and in the series of discal spots being elongate, much larger. The hind wing has the discal series of outwardly pointed black-markings only as traces. Underside similar to that of the male, but the groundcolour more ochraceous, the markings larger, more diffuse.
Race vasanta, Moore is found in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. It resembles the nominate race, but in the male the white spots on the fore wing are entirely absent, above and below ; the discal hand on both fore and hind wing on the upperside is more irregular and not nearly so well-defined ; on the fore wing the interspace between it and the subterminal band and on the hind wing the posterior half suffused with dark green 5 the terminal margin of the fore and anterior half of the hind wing tinged with pink. Underside similar, but both the ground-colour and markings paler; the latter less prominent. Female. Differs prominently on both upper and under sides in the discal row of white spots being more oblique and complete, extending from the costa to near the apex of interspace 2.
Race acontius is found in the Andaman Islands
Andaman Islands
The Andaman Islands are a group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal between India to the west, and Burma , to the north and east...
.
The wing expanse is 68-79 mm.
Habits
This butterfly has a stiff flap glide style of flying. It flies at low heights and maintains a territory.the female fly stylishly while male fly plainly...Range
Throughout peninsular India, except in the desert tracts, and the higher ranges of the Himalayas; Assam; Burma; Tenasserim, extending to the peninsula, and Sumatra.Life history
The pupa is green and quadrangular and found especially on mangoMango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
where it is sometimes treated as a minor pest.