Pachliopta hector
Encyclopedia
Crimson Rose is a large swallowtail
butterfly belonging to the subgenus
Pachliopta
(Roses) of the Red-bodied Swallowtails (genus
Atrophaneura
).
and Sri Lanka
and possibly the coast of western Myanmar
.
In India, it is found in the Western Ghats
, southern India (Kerala
), eastern India (West Bengal
and Orissa
), and the Andaman Islands
. Also recorded from Pune
.
but rare in Gujarat. It is considered to be very rare in the Amphrodog. Protected by law in India.
Female. Similar, the discal series of spots and subterminal lunules much duller, pale crimson irrorated with black scales; in some specimens the anterior spots and lunules almost white barely tinged with crimson; abdomen above with the black colour extended further towards the apex.
No geographic races have been described.
, this butterfly is also very interesting for the amateur naturalist to observe. The Crimson Rose is very fond of flowers especially Lantana
. Nectar appears to be essential for the butterfly and a higher nectar intake is thought to increase egg
production.
Close to the ground, the flight of the Crimson Rose is slow and fluttering but steady. At greater heights, it flies faster and stronger. It basks with its wings wings spread flat, sometimes in small congregations at heights of 10 to 15 metres up in the trees.
The butterfly often roosts for the night in large companies on the twigs and branches of trees and shrubs, sometimes accompanied by a few Common Mormon
s. When resting the butterfly draws its forewings halfway between the hindwings. The butterfly sleeps on slanting outstretched branches or twigs of trees or bushes.
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The red body, slow peculiar flight, bright colouration and pattern of the wings are meant to indicate to predators that this butterfly is inedible, being well protected by the poisons it has sequestered from its larval food plant. Its flight and behaviour is much like that of the Common Mormon. Like that butterfly, it too is inedible and rarely attacked by predators. This has led to this butterfly also being mimicked by a female morph of the Common Mormon (Papilio polytes), in this case, the female form romulus.
In the Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, 1880, p. 276, Mr. R. S. Eaton notes that in Bombay this butterfly roosted in great numbers together, however Bingham notes that in the Western Ghats
between Vengurla and Belgaum, where the butterfly occurred in some numbers and had the habit of roosting in company on twigs of some thorny shrub, but never saw more than a score or so together.
to adult.
. The eggs hatch in seven days.
s of the Crimson Rose are similar to those of the Common Rose, but is purplish-black or blackish-brown. It has a black head and orange osmeterium
. The body is fat, with orange-red tubercle
s and a prominent yellowish-white band transeversely placed on segments 6 to 8. The caterpillar has 5 instar
s. The caterpillars are known to display cannibalistic behaviour. Hence the name hector.
is pinkish brown with darker expanded wing-cases. The wing like expansions on the abdomen are distinctive.
including Aristolochia indica, Aristolochia bracteolata, and Thottea siliquosa. The species is unpalatable as they sequester many compounds in their larval stages including aristolochic acid from the host plants.
Swallowtail butterfly
Swallowtail butterflies are large, colorful butterflies that form the family Papilionidae. There are over 550 species, and though the majority are tropical, members of the family are found on all continents except Antarctica...
butterfly belonging to the subgenus
Subgenus
In biology, a subgenus is a taxonomic rank directly below genus.In zoology, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the generic name and the specific epithet: e.g. the Tiger Cowry of the Indo-Pacific, Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, which...
Pachliopta
Pachliopta
Pachliopta, commonly referred to as Roses is a subgenus of butterflies in the Swallowtail family that are generally found in Asia.-Species:Listed alphabetically:*Atrophaneura aristolochiae – Common Rose...
(Roses) of the Red-bodied Swallowtails (genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Atrophaneura
Atrophaneura
Atrophaneura, commonly referred to as the Red-bodied Swallowtails is a genus of butterflies in the Swallowtail family that are generally found in Asia.-Species:Listed alphabetically within groups:The latreillei species-group:...
).
Range
It is found 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...
and 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...
and possibly the coast of western 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 India, it is found in the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
, southern India (Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
), eastern India (West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
and Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
), and 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...
. Also recorded from Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
.
Status
Generally common and not known to be threatened. It is common all along the Western Ghats up to MaharashtraMaharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
but rare in Gujarat. It is considered to be very rare in the Amphrodog. Protected by law in India.
Description
Male Upperside black. Fore wing with a broad white interrupted band from the subcostal nervure opposite the origin of veins 10 and 11, extended obliquely to the tornus, and a second short pre-apical similar band; both bands composed of detached irregularly indented broad streaks in the interspaces. Hind wing with a diseal posteriorly strongly curved series of seven crimson spots followed by a subterminal series of crimson lunules. Cilia black alternated with white. Underside: fore whig dull brownish black, hind wing black; markings as on the npporsido, but the crimson spots and crescentic markings on the hind wing larger. Antennae, thorax and abdomen abovo at base, black; head and rest of the abdomen bright crimson; beneath: iho palpi, the sides of the thorax and abdomen crimson.Female. Similar, the discal series of spots and subterminal lunules much duller, pale crimson irrorated with black scales; in some specimens the anterior spots and lunules almost white barely tinged with crimson; abdomen above with the black colour extended further towards the apex.
No geographic races have been described.
Habitat
This butterfly is at home both in jungle and in open country. During the dry season, it will be found up to 8000 feet (2400 m) in South India, but it is found all the year round at lower elevations.Habits
It is a very striking looking tailed butterfly with prominent white bands on its forewings. Like the Common RosePachliopta aristolochiae
The Common Rose is a swallowtail butterfly belonging to the Pachliopta subgenus, the Roses, of the genus Atrophaneura or Red-bodied Swallowtails. It is a common butterfly which is extensively distributed across South and South East Asia.-Range:It is widely distributed in Asia...
, this butterfly is also very interesting for the amateur naturalist to observe. The Crimson Rose is very fond of flowers especially Lantana
Lantana
Lantana is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa but exist as an introduced species in numerous areas, especially in the Australian-Pacific region. The genus includes both...
. Nectar appears to be essential for the butterfly and a higher nectar intake is thought to increase egg
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
production.
Close to the ground, the flight of the Crimson Rose is slow and fluttering but steady. At greater heights, it flies faster and stronger. It basks with its wings wings spread flat, sometimes in small congregations at heights of 10 to 15 metres up in the trees.
The butterfly often roosts for the night in large companies on the twigs and branches of trees and shrubs, sometimes accompanied by a few Common Mormon
Papilio polytes
The Common Mormon is a common species of swallowtail butterfly widely distributed across Asia. This butterfly is known for the mimicry displayed by the numerous forms of its females which mimic inedible Red-bodied Swallowtails, such as the Common Rose and the Crimson Rose.- Names :The common name...
s. When resting the butterfly draws its forewings halfway between the hindwings. The butterfly sleeps on slanting outstretched branches or twigs of trees or bushes.
Aposematism and mimicry
Migration
The most striking aspect aspect of the butterflies behaviour is its strong migratory tendencies. During the peak of its season, several thousands of Crimson Roses can be found congregating and then they begin migrating to other areas.In the Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, 1880, p. 276, Mr. R. S. Eaton notes that in Bombay this butterfly roosted in great numbers together, however Bingham notes that in the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
between Vengurla and Belgaum, where the butterfly occurred in some numbers and had the habit of roosting in company on twigs of some thorny shrub, but never saw more than a score or so together.
Life cycle
Higher numbers of them are seen during August–November and also during April–June. They breed up to 6–7 times in the year and it has been found to take only 39–47 days from eggEgg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
to adult.
Eggs
Similar to those of the Common RosePachliopta aristolochiae
The Common Rose is a swallowtail butterfly belonging to the Pachliopta subgenus, the Roses, of the genus Atrophaneura or Red-bodied Swallowtails. It is a common butterfly which is extensively distributed across South and South East Asia.-Range:It is widely distributed in Asia...
. The eggs hatch in seven days.
Caterpillars
The caterpillarCaterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s of the Crimson Rose are similar to those of the Common Rose, but is purplish-black or blackish-brown. It has a black head and orange osmeterium
Osmeterium
The osmeterium is a fleshy organ found in the prothoracic segment of larvae of Swallowtail butterflies including Birdwings. This organ emits smelly compounds believed to be pheromones. Normally hidden, this forked structure can be everted when the caterpillar is threatened, and used to emit a...
. The body is fat, with orange-red tubercle
Tubercle
A tubercle is generally a wart-like projection, but it has slightly different meaning depending on which family of plants or animals it is used to refer to....
s and a prominent yellowish-white band transeversely placed on segments 6 to 8. The caterpillar has 5 instar
Instar
An instar is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each molt , until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or assume a new form. Differences between instars can often be seen in altered body proportions, colors, patterns, or...
s. The caterpillars are known to display cannibalistic behaviour. Hence the name hector.
Pupa
The pupaPupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
is pinkish brown with darker expanded wing-cases. The wing like expansions on the abdomen are distinctive.
Food plants
The larvae of the species breed on various species of AristolochiaAristolochia
Aristolochia is a large plant genus with over 500 species. Collectively known as birthworts, pipevines or Dutchman's pipes, they are the namesake of the family . They are widespread and occur in the most diverse climates. Some species, like A. utriformis and A...
including Aristolochia indica, Aristolochia bracteolata, and Thottea siliquosa. The species is unpalatable as they sequester many compounds in their larval stages including aristolochic acid from the host plants.
Nectar resources
The nectar sources of the Crimson Rose with details of the flowering period are as follows :- Adathoda zeylonica January–March
- Albizzia lebbeck March–June
- Anacardium occidentale December–March
- Antigonon leptopus Year-long
- Bougainvillea spectabilis Year-long
- Caesalpinia pulcherrimaCaesalpinia pulcherrimaCaesalpinia pulcherrima is a species of flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas. Its exact origin is unknown due to widespread cultivation...
Year-long - Capparis spinosa December–February
- Carissa carandus Year-long (April–July)
- Catharanthus roseus Year-long
- Citheroxylum subserratum April–June
- Clerodendrum infortunatum February–April
- Duranta repens June–December
- Hibiscus rosa-sinensisChinese hibiscusHibiscus rosa-sinensis, known colloquially as the Chinese hibiscus, China rose and shoe flower, is an evergreen flowering shrub native to East Asia....
Year-long - Hyptis suaveolens September–January
- Jasminum angustifolium June–August
- Lantana camaraLantana camaraLantana camara, also known as Spanish Flag or West Indian Lantana, is a species of flowering plant in the verbena family, Verbenaceae, that is native to the American tropics. It has been introduced into other parts of the world as an ornamental plant and is considered an invasive species in many...
Year-long - Muntingia calabura Year-long
- Nerium odorum Year-long
- Premna latifolia March–August
- Sida acutaSida acutaCommon Wireweed is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is believed to have originated in Central America, but today has a pantropical distribution and is considered a weed in some areas. The plant is poisonous to goats, causing a lysosomal storage disease if ingested....
August–December - Sida cordifoliaSida cordifoliaSida cordifolia is a perennial subshrub of the mallow family Malvaceae native to India. It has naturalized throughout the world, and is considered an invasive weed in Africa, Australia, the southern United States, Hawaiian Islands, New Guinea, and French Polynesia...
August–December - Stachytarpheta indica June–September
- Wrightia tinctoria April–June
- Zizyphus oenoplia August–December and March–June
See also
- LepidopteraLepidopteraLepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
- Butterflies
- Papilionidae
- List of butterflies of India
- List of butterflies of India (Papilionidae)
External links
- http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/chinfahshin/history/rose.html
- http://www.srilankaninsects.net/Butterflies/Papilionidae/CommonRose/CommonRose.htm
- http://journal.library.iisc.ernet.in/vol20040102/paper2/atluri.pdf