Euripus nyctelius DATASHEET

 

<> Euripus nyctelius  (Doubleday, 1845) <>

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Euripus nyctelius
Photo taken at Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand  ♂ 700m a.s.l.

Euripus nyctelius is a widespread species found across most of the region but is not common. It is dimorphic and there are differences between sexes in both size and appearance. The male is most often seen and can be instantly recognised by its distinctive yellow eyes while the female is polymorphic and has several different forms plus innumerable unnamed intermediate forms. These female forms mimic the distasteful Euploea species of the family Danainae.

Males are smaller than the females but are very territorial and strong fliers. Euripus nyctelius is multivoltine and there are several generations per year. The adult female lays her eggs singly on the upperside of a leaf on the host plant. The newly hatched larva eats the egg shell as its first meal. There is recent evidence that shows this species is slowly spreading northwards.

Synonyms and previously used names:   Euripus halitherses, Euripus haliartus, Hestina isa, Euripus cinnamomeus, Euripus mastor, Idrusia nyctelius, Euripus badria, Euripus neda, Euripus phygalia, Diadema nyctelius

 

Taxonomy:  Animalia - Arthropoda - Insecta - Lepidoptera - Nymphalidae - Apaturinae - Euripus - nyctelius

Regional  subspecies:   E.n.eupleoides (S.Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore), E.n.nyctelius (India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, China). There are also a number of different subspecies amongst the islands in both Indonesia and the Philippines and further taxonomic study is probably needed.

Regional Distribution:  India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines


Papilio helenus

Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand  ♂  700m a.s.l.

 

Habitat:  Euripus nyctelius is found in a variety of habitats including primary rainforest, evergreen and deciduous montane forest, wasteland, and anywhere there is secondary vegetation. Elevations tend to be at moderate levels up to 1600m a.s.l.

Flight time:  all year depending on location                                                          Wingspan:  50-70mm

Life History:       egg    3-4 days       instar 1    3-4 days       instar 2    3 days       instar 3    3 days    instar 4    4 days      instar 5    5-7 days   pupa    6-7 days    Total egg to adult   27-31 days.  All times approximate.

Larval Hosts:  Trema orientale, Trema cannabina, Trema tomentosum (Cannabaceae), Albizia chinensis (Fabaceae). Actual host plant used depends upon location and availabilty of plant species.

Adult Food Sources:  Nectar - Mikania micrantha (Asteraceae), Zanthoxylum avicennae (Rutaceae), Persicaria perfoliata (Polygonaceae).  Other - mud puddling, animal dung.
NOTE: there have been few studies of this sometimes rare and elusive species and it is likely that there are further host and nectar plants that are utilized and not yet recorded.

Euripus nyctelius
Lamnamkok National Park, Chiang Rai, Thailand  ♂

Euripus nyctelius
Lamnamkok National Park, Chiang Rai, Thailand  ♂

Euripus nyctelius f.euploeoides
Lamnamkok NP, Chiang Rai, Thailand ♀ form euploeoides

Persicaria perfoliata
Persicaria perfoliata, a nectar source

Mikania micrantha
Mikania micrantha, another nectar source

Euripus nyctelius
Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand  ♂

Euripus nyctelius
Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand  ♂

Euripus nyctelius
Doi Suthep-Pui NP, Chiang Mai, Thailand (unnamed ♀ form)

Albizia chinensis
Albizia chinensis, a larval host

Euripus nyctelius
Lamnamkok National Park, Chiang Rai, Thailand  ♂

Euripus nyctelius
Chiang Dao Nature Sanctuary, Chiang Mai, Thailand  ♂

Euripus nyctelius
Doi Suthep-Pui NP, Chiang Mai, Thailand (unnamed ♀ form)

Trema orientale
Trema orientale, another larval host


Butterflies of Thailand and SE Asia  -  BugsAlive Species Information Sheet
© All images are the copyright of Tim Stratford

 

                     Links to other pages in this series for species in the same subfamily

Euripus nyctelius
Hestinalis nama
Rohana parvata
  
 
               This page updated 22nd September 2023