<> Telchinia issoria Hübner, [1819] <>

the Yellow Coster ผีเสื้อหนอนหนามปีกเหลือง

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Photo taken at Bagan, Mandalay, Myanmar. 420m a.s.l.

Telchinia issoria is fairly widespread but not common and may be limited by the scarcity of particular host plants. Sexes are not dissimilar in appearance on the underside but the female is much darker on the upper wings with extensive darkening to the veins. It has a slow and fairly weak flight.

Voltinism is not fully understood but there may be only two broods per annum due to their long lifecycle period. Eggs are laid in clusters of up to 150 eggs on the underside of a leaf on the host plant. Mature larvae leave the host plant to pupate elsewhere.

Synonyms and previously used names: Acraea issoria, Acraea anomala, Acraea vesta, Pareba vesta, Pareba issoria

Taxonomy: Animalia - Arthropoda - Insecta - Lepidoptera - Nymphalidae - Heliconiinae - Telchinia - issoria

Regional subspecies: Telchinia issoria formosana (Taiwan), Telchinia issoria issoria (India, N.Vietnam, China), Telchinia issoria sordice (Myanmar, Thailand, N.Laos, China), Telchinia issoria vestalina (S.Laos, S.Vietnam), Telchinia issoria vestita (Indonesia), Telchinia issoria vestoides (Indonesia)

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

Habitat: Telchinia issoria is found in evergreen montane broad-leaved forest edges and wet grassland at moderate elevations. It has been recorded up to 3000m a.s.l. in China.

Flight time: various times depending on location Wingspan: 50-70mm

Life History: egg 21-22 days instar 1 6-7 days instar 2 5-6 days instar 3 6 days instar 4 6 days instar 5 7 days pupa 9-10 days Total egg to adult 60-64 days. All times approximate. NOTE: One study gives much longer larval periods but more investigation is needed.

Larval Hosts: Buddleja asiatica (Scrophulariaceae), Rubus ellipticus (Rosaceae), Boehmeria densiflora, Boehmeria japonica, Boehmeria nivea, Boehmeria penduliflora, Boehmeria sieboldiana, Boehmeria virgata, Debregeasia longifolia, Debregeasia saeneb, Elatostema lineolatum, Girardinia diversifolia, Gonostegia triandra, Oreocnide frutescens, Pouzolzia rugulosa, Pouzolzia sanguinea, Pouzolzia zeylanica, Urtica dioica, Urtica taiwaniana (Urticaceae).
Actual host plant used depends upon location and availabilty of plant species.

Adult Food Sources: Nectar - Lantana camara, Verbena bonariensis (Verbanacae), Bidens sp., Erigeron sp. (Asteraceae), Vaccinium retusum (Ericaceae), Gentiana capitata (Gentianaceae). NOTE: there are probably other flower species visited but not yet recorded. Other: it is not known if they feed on any other resources.