Stichophthalma nourmahal
Encyclopedia
The Chocolate Jungle Queen Stichophthalma nourmahal (Westwood
, 1851) is a butterfly
found in South Asia
that belongs to the Morphinae
sub family of the Brush-footed butterflies
family.
, Assam
and Nagaland
in India
and also in Bhutan
.
Male upperside bright chocolate-brown. Fore wing with a very broad, curved, oblique preapical band from costa to termen; apex and the termen narrowly dark brown ; a subterminal series of delicate, brown, trident-shaped marks. Hind wing with a band along the terminal margin yellow, bearing paired, lunular, brown marks in the interspaces. Underside dark ochraceous, paler towards the apex of the fore wing, with the following transverse markings—subbasal and median dark brown sinuous lines, bordered, the former on the inside, the latter on the outside, by narrow bands of greenish blue ; a discal series of obscure ocelli, some of them denned only as pale spots; a postdiscal and a subterminal dark highly-sinuous line, the former ending in a black tornal spot outwardly margined with pink. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen chocolate-brown above, ochraceous beneath.
Female upperside is similar, a preapical white spot on fore wing. Underside with the transverse markings similar; the groundcolour up to the median black transverse line chocolate-brown; beyond, the fore wing from costa to vein 4 light ochraceous, inwardly paling to white below vein 1 ; the hind wing crossed by a diffuse dark brown band; ocelli as in the male, followed by a dull ochraceous-brown postdiscal area, the terminal margins broadly brown, inwardly defined and crossed subterminally by highly sinuous dark lines. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen as in the male.
John Obadiah Westwood
John Obadiah Westwood was an English entomologist and archaeologist also noted for his artistic talents.Born in Sheffield, he studied to be a lawyer but abandoned that for his scientific interests....
, 1851) is a 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...
found in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
that 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 :...
sub family 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...
family.
Distribution
The Chocolate Jungle Queen ranges from SikkimSikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
, 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 Nagaland
Nagaland
Nagaland is a state in the far north-eastern part of India. It borders the state of Assam to the west, Arunachal Pradesh and part of Assam to the north, Burma to the east and Manipur to the south. The state capital is Kohima, and the largest city is Dimapur...
in 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 also in Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
.
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 bright chocolate-brown. Fore wing with a very broad, curved, oblique preapical band from costa to termen; apex and the termen narrowly dark brown ; a subterminal series of delicate, brown, trident-shaped marks. Hind wing with a band along the terminal margin yellow, bearing paired, lunular, brown marks in the interspaces. Underside dark ochraceous, paler towards the apex of the fore wing, with the following transverse markings—subbasal and median dark brown sinuous lines, bordered, the former on the inside, the latter on the outside, by narrow bands of greenish blue ; a discal series of obscure ocelli, some of them denned only as pale spots; a postdiscal and a subterminal dark highly-sinuous line, the former ending in a black tornal spot outwardly margined with pink. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen chocolate-brown above, ochraceous beneath.
Female upperside is similar, a preapical white spot on fore wing. Underside with the transverse markings similar; the groundcolour up to the median black transverse line chocolate-brown; beyond, the fore wing from costa to vein 4 light ochraceous, inwardly paling to white below vein 1 ; the hind wing crossed by a diffuse dark brown band; ocelli as in the male, followed by a dull ochraceous-brown postdiscal area, the terminal margins broadly brown, inwardly defined and crossed subterminally by highly sinuous dark lines. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen as in the male.
See also
- MorphinaeMorphinaeMorphinae 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 :...
- NymphalidaeNymphalidaeThe 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...
- List of butterflies of India
- List of butterflies of India (Morphinae)
- List of butterflies of India (Nymphalidae)