<> Polyura athamas (Drury,1773) <>

the Common Nawab ผีเสื้อม้าเขียวธรรมดา (เหลืองหนามธรรมดา)

Click on any photo to see all photos full size in Lightbox

Additions and corrections to the information provided on this page is always welcome. Please use the Contact form.

Photo taken at Lamnamkok National Park, Chiang Rai, Thailand. 450m a.s.l.

As the name suggests, Polyura athamas is a common and widespread species. It is the male that is most often seen as the females spend most of their time in the canopy. The males are avid mud puddlers. It has a strong and rapid flight. This species is multivoltine with several broods per annum.

Synonyms: Charaxes samatha, Charaxes bharata, Eriboea athamas

Taxonomy: Animalia - Arthropoda - Insecta - Lepidoptera - Nymphalidae - Charaxinae - Polyura - athamas

Regional subspecies: Polyura athamas acutus (Philippines), Polyura athamas athamas (Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Yunnan-China, W.Malaysia), Polyura athamas fruhstorferi (Java-Indonesia), Polyura athamas palawanicus (Palawan-Philippines), Polyura athamas uraeus (Sumatra-Indonesia, E.Malaysia). There are a number of other subspecies recorded amongst the islands of Indonesia but uncertain which ones may be legitimate.

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

Habitat: Polyura athamas is found in scrubland and montane forest, usually near streams. It has been recorded at elevations up to 2500m a.s.l.

Flight time: all year depending on location Wingspan: 45-65mm

Life History: egg 5 days instar 1 5 days instar 2 5 days instar 3 6 days instar 4 6-7 days instar 5 8 days pupa 10-11 days Total egg to adult 45-46 days. All times approximate.

Larval Hosts: Adenanthera pavonina, Albizia chinensis, Albizia corniculata, Albizia julibrissin, Albizia lebbeck, Archidendron clypearia, Biancaea sappan, Calliandra surinamensis, Delonix regia, Guilandina bonduc, Guilandina major, Hultholia mimosoides, Leucaena leucocephala, Peltophorum dasyrhachis, Peltophorum pterocarpum, Pithecellobium dulce, Senegalia caesia, Senegalia catechu, Senegalia pennata, Senegalia rugata, Tamarindus indica, Vachellia farnesiana (Fabaceae), Grewia sp. (Malvaceae), Ventilago madraspatana (Rhamnaceae), Helicteres isora (Malvaceae). Actual host plant used depends upon location and availabilty of plant species.