Athyma kanwa

 

<> Athyma kanwa  (Moore,1858) <>

the Dot-dash Sergeant     ผีเสื้อจ่าจุดขีด

 
 
 

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Athyma kanwa
Photo taken at Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Chiang Mai. Thailand. 1580m a.s.l.

There is limited distribution of Athyma kanwa and it is not at all common. It may be that this species is constrained by their need for particular host plants. It is a strong flyer and is easily disturbed. The sexes are almost identical in markings and size. Voltinism is not fully understood but there may be only two or three broods per annum. Eggs are laid singly at the tip of a leaf on the host plant and the newly hatched larva eats its egg shell.

Synonyms and previously used names:    Pantoporia kanwa, Parathyma kanwa


Taxonomy:  Animalia - Arthropoda - Insecta - Lepidoptera - Nymphalidae - Limenitidinae - Athyma - kanwa

Regional subspecies:    Athyma kanwa kanwa (S.Thailand, W.Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia), Athyma kanwa lamdongensis (S.Vietnam), Athyma kanwa phorkys (NE India, Myanmar, N.Thailand, Laos, N.Vietnam), Athyma kanwa supati (C.Thailand, Cambodia). Athyma kanwa zynara (Indonesia)

Regional Distribution:  India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia

Habitat:  Athyma kanwa is found in montane forest and has been recorded at elevations up to 1600m a.s.l.

Flight time:  not recorded but possibly October to April only          Wingspan:  55-65mm

Life History:     egg   3-4 days     instar 1   3 days     instar 2    3 days     instar 3    4-5 days  instar 4    4 days     instar 5   7-9 days    pupa   6-7 days     Total egg to adult   21-24 days.    All times are approximate.

Larval Hosts:  Uncaria canescens, Uncaria lanosa, Uncaria spp. (Rubiaceae).  Actual host plant used depends upon location and availabilty of plant species.

Adult Food Sources:  Nectar - Bidens pilosa (Asteraceae). NOTE: there are almost certainly other plant species visited but not yet recorded or observed.  Other - mud puddling

Athyma kanwa
Doi Suthep-Pui N.P., Chiang Mai, Thailand

Uncaria sp.
Uncaria sp., a larval host

Bidens pilosa
Bidens pilosa, a nectar source

Butterflies of Thailand and SE Asia  -  BugsAlive Species Information Sheet
© All images are the copyright of Tim Stratford

 

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               This page updated 1st May 2026