Junonia iphita DATASHEET

 

<> Junonia iphita  (Cramer,[1779]) <>

the Chocolate Pansy     ผีเสื้อแพนซีตาลไหม้

 

Click on any photo to see large version

 

Junonia iphita
Photo taken at Chiang Dao Nature Sanctuary, Chiang Mai, Thailand. 540m a.s.l.

Distributed widely across the region and although generally found at low to medium elevations it has been recorded at 4000m altitude in Bhutan. Depth of colour on the wings varies but there is little difference visually between the sexes. It is primarily a forest species and unlike others of this genus rarely visits gardens. It basks, with wings widespread, on low foliage or amongst the leaf litter where it is difficult to spot. It is a strong flier. Multivoltine with several generations per annum.

Synonyms and previously used names:   Precis iphita, Precis hopfferi

Taxonomy:  Animalia - Arthropoda - Insecta - Lepidoptera - Nymphalidae - Nymphalinae - Junonia - iphita

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

Habitat:  primary and secondary forest, riverbanks,  up to 4000m a.s.l.                   Wingspan:  40-60mm

Flight time:  all year, depending on location

Life History:       egg   3 days      instar 1   3 days      instar 2    3 days      instar 3    2 days      instar 4    2 days       instar 5   3 days    instar 6   4 days   pupa   7 days     Total egg to adult   24-28 days.    All times approximate.

Larval Hosts:  Barleria cristata, Barleria prionitis, Eranthemum capense, Hygrophila auriculata, Justicia micrantha, Lepidagathis formosensis, Rostellularia procumbens, Ruellia patula, Ruellia prostrata, Ruellia simplex, Ruellia tuberosa, Strobilanthes auriculata, Strobilanthes callosa, Strobilanthes ciliata, Strobilanthes diandra, Strobilanthes formosana, Strobilanthes pavala, Strobilanthes tomentosa (Acanthaceae), Sida cordifolia (Malvaceae)Hosts used depends upon location and availability of plant species.

Adult Food Sources:  Nectar - Duranta erecta, Duranta repens, Lantana camara, Verbena rigida (Verbenaceae), Leucas lamiifolia, Plectranthus barbatus, Premna serratifolia, Rotheca serrata (Lamiaceae), Ageratina adenophora, Ageratum conyzoides, Bidens pilosa, Chromolaena odorata, Crassocephalum cerpidioides, Eupatorium inulifolium, Gynura nitida, Helichrysum bracteatum, Mikania micrantha, Parthenium hysterophorus, Sphagneticola trilobata, Synedrella nodiflora, Taraxacum javanicum, Vernonia conyzoides, Youngia japonica (Asteraceae), Cordia cylindrostachya (Boraginaceae), Cytisus scoparius, Tephrosia purpurea (Fabaceae), Cestrum aurantiacum, Solanum mauritianum (Solanaceae), Hypericum japonicum, Hypericum mysorense (Hypericaceae), Justicia japonica (Acanthaceae), Sida acuta (Malvaceae), Oplismenus undulatifolius (Poaceae), Oxalis latifolia (Oxalidaceae), Verbascum thapsus (Scrophulariaceae), Trichilia connaroides (Meliaceae), Nothapodytes nimmoniana (Icacinaceae), Rhodomyrtus tomentosa (Myrtaceae), Oenothera rosea (Onagraceae), Prinsepia utilis, Rubus ellipticus (Rosaceae), Rhamnus wightii (Rhamnaceae), Euphorbia milii, Euphorbia rothiana (Euphorbiaceae), Catheranthus roseus (Apocynaceae), Antigonon leptopus (Polygonaceae), Anacardium occidentale (Anacardiaceae), Santalum album (Santalaceae), Zanthoxylum avicennae (Rutaceae), Berberis chitria, Berberis lycium (Berberidaceae).  Other - over-ripe fruit, animal dung

Junonia iphita
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Junonia iphita
Chiang Rai, Thailand

Junonia iphita
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Junonia iphita
Chiang Rai, Thailand

Junonia iphita
Chiang Rai, Thailand

Chromolaena odorata
Chromolaena odorata, a nectar source

Barleria cristata
Barleria cristata, a larval host

Ruellia tuberosa
Ruellia tuberosa, 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