<> Badamia exclamationis (Fabricius,1775) <>

the Brown Awl ผีเสื้อไซเรน

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Photo taken at Doi Suthep-Pui N.P., Chiang Mai, Thailand ♂ 460m a.s.l.

Badamia exclamationis is very distinctive and easily distinguished from other awls by the characteristic shape of the body and the narrower wings. The species is fairly common across most parts of the region. There are only slight differences in appearance between the sexes and it is very difficult to determine in the field. They have a strong and fast flight. They are only seen early morning or late afternoon, the rest of the day hiding away in the shaded areas of the forest.

They are multivoltine with several broods per annum. The female lays her eggs singly on new growth of the host plant. On hatching the larva uses silk to form a shelter using the edge of leaves in which it then resides for the rest of the larval stage.

Synonyms and previously used names: Papilio exclamationis, Papilio ladon, Hesperia ericus, Calpodes forulus, Ismene thymbron

Taxonomy: Arthropoda - Insecta - Lepidoptera - Hesperiidae - Coeliadinae - Badamia - exclamationis

Regional subspecies: none

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

Habitat: Badamia exclamationis is found at the edges of evergreen and deciduous montane forest at low to moderate elevations. It has been recorded up to 1300m a.s.l.

Flight time: all year depending on location Wingspan: 45-55mm

Life History: egg 2 days instar1 2 days instar2 2 days instar3 3 days instar4 3 days instar5 4 days pupa 9 days Total egg-adult 25 days
All times are approximate and can vary depending on the season and on the host used.

Larval Hosts: Anogeissus acuminata, Combretum albidum, Combretum decandrum, Combretum latifolium, Combretum ovalifolium, Combretum sundaicum, Terminalia bellirica, Terminalia bialata, Terminalia brassii, Terminalia calamansanai, Terminalia catappa, Terminalia complanata, Terminalia oblongata, Terminalia seriocarpa (Combretaceae), Hiptage benghalensis, Rhyssopterys timorensis, Tristellateia australasiae (Malpighiaceae), Ficus cunia, Ficus virens (Moraceae), Millettia pinnata, Vitex negundo (Fabaceae).
Actual host plant used depends upon location and availabilty of plant species.

Adult Food Sources: Bidens pilosa, Chromolaena odorata, Tagetes sp. (Asteraceae), Asystasia gangetica (Acanthaceae), Lantana camara, Stachytarpheta frantzii (Verbenaceae), Glycosmis sp. (Rutaceae), Buddleja sp. (Scrophulariaceae), Celosia argentea (Amaranthaceae). NOTE: there are probably other nectar sources that have not been recorded. Other - mud puddling, bird droppings