<> Stibochiona nicea Gray,1846 <>

the Popinjay ผีเสื้อธารมรกต

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Photo taken at Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand ♂. 1150m a.s.l.

An uncommon forest species that prefers dappled sunlight where it basks on the ground or on low vegetation. Often found resting on the underside of leaves with wings spread. Male and female are similar in appearance, the difference is mainly on the margin of the hindwings, but there are some marked differences between subspecies. Multivoltine with several broods per year. Previously in the Cyrestinae sub-family but now reassigned to the Pseudergolinae.

Synonyms: Adolias dolope

Taxonomy: Animalia - Arthropoda - Insecta - Lepidoptera - Nymphalidae - Pseudergolinae - Stibochiona - nicea

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

Habitat: moist evergreen and deciduous montane forest up to 2100m a.s.l. Wingspan: 50-60mm

Flight time: all year, depending on location

Larval Hosts: Boehmeria penduliflora (Urticaceae), Ficus lepicarpa (Moraceae), Schima wallichii (Theaceae). Actual host plant used depends upon location and availabilty of plant species.

Adult Food Sources: Nectar - not known to visit flowers. Other - mud puddling, over-ripe fruit, tree sap of Albizzia sp.