<> 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.
Stibochiona nicea is 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. Males and females are similar in appearance, the difference is mainly on the margin of the hindwings, but there are some marked differences between subspecies.
The species is 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 subspecies: Stibochiona nicea nicea (Nepal, Bhutan, NE India, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Yunnan-China), Stibochiona nicea subucula (S.Myanmar, Thailand, W.Malaysia)
Regional Distribution: Nepal, Bhutan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, China, Malaysia
Habitat: Stibochiona nicea is found in moist evergreen and deciduous montane forest, usually in areas of dappled sunlight. It has been recorded at elevations up to 2100m a.s.l. in Nepal.
Flight time: all year, depending on location Wingspan: 50-60mm
Life History: not known
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.
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| Doi Suthep-Pui N.P., Chiang Mai, Thailand ♂ |
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| Doi Suthep-Pui N.P., Chiang Mai, Thailand ♀ |
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| Lamnamkok N.P., Chiang Rai, Thailand ♀ |
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| Boehmeria penduliflora, a larval host |
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| Schima wallichii, another larval host |
Links to other pages in this series for species in the Cyrestinae and Pseudergolinae subfamilies
