Doi Suthep-Pui NP, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Family : Nymphalidae
Sub-Family : Limenitidinae
Species : Moduza procris procris
Distributed from Sri Lanka through India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. It is a medium size butterfly with a wingspan of 50-60mm, both sexes being similar in size and appearance. They are very powerful fliers although they only usually fly for short distances at a time. Both sexes feed on the nectar of various flower species and the males are fond of puddling on damp ground. Habitat is low altitude (up to around 1000m) deciduous forest, usually in the vicinity of streams.
Larval food plants include Anthocephalus chinensis, Morinda angustifolia, Nauclea orientalis, and various other Rubiaceae species. Females lay their eggs singly at the tip of a leaf on the host plant. The eggs are about 1mm in diameter with short spines, giving them the appearance of tiny sea urchins. The complete lifecycle then takes around 30 days to the emergence of the new adult butterfly. The well-camouflaged caterpillars are very strange-looking creatures and have a unique way of protecting themselves. They form their frass chain (excrement) into two rolls that look like themselves, thereby creating foul-tasting decoys for any potential predators. The pupal case is also well disguised and looks like a small twisted dead leaf.
All my insect pics are single, handheld shots of live insects in wild situations.
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