Lebadea martha

 

<> Lebadea martha  (Fabricius,1787) <>

the Knight     ผีเสื้อสะพายขาวปีกโค้ง

 
 
 

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Lebadea martha
Photo taken at Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Chiang Mai. Thailand  ♂ 450m a.s.l.

Lebadea martha is common and is distributed throughout most of the region but is somewhat rarer in China and absent from Taiwan. Although generally common it can be quite localised in some areas. The species is sexually dimorphic but only mildly so. The female is slightly larger than the male and a little darker in colour but other differences in appearance are quite minimal. The easiest way to tell the difference is that the male has a distinct white patch at the apex of the forewing. It is essentially a forest species and a fast and strong flier.

This species is multivoltine with several broods per annum. The adult female lays her eggs singly at the leaf tip on the host plant. Once hatched the larva feeds on the lamina in a rather unusual and systematic manner. It makes cuts through the lamina from the edge of the leaf to the midrib, creating an isolated leaf fragment which it then devours. Once that has been exhausted it creates another one and eats it, then another, and continues in the same manner.

Synonyms and previously used names:   Lebadea attenuata, Limenitis attenuata, Papilio martha

 

Taxonomy:  Animalia - Arthropoda - Insecta - Lepidoptera - Nymphalidae - Limenitidinae - Lebadea - martha

Regional subspecies:  L.martha martha (India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, S.China), L.martha malayana (S.Thailand, W.Malaysia), L.martha nebula (China,Yunnan), L.martha parkeri (Singapore), L.martha sumatrensis (Indonesia). There are also a few other subspecies scattered amongst the islands of Indonesia.

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

 

Lebadea martha
Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand  ♀  460m a.s.l.

Habitat:  Lebadea martha is found in low to mid-elevation primary and disturbed montane forest, up to 1200m a.s.l. It is a shade-loving species but can often be seen basking in sunny spots within the forest.

Flight time:  all year round, depending on location                                         Wingspan:  50-65mm

Life History:        egg   3-4 days     instar 1   3-4 days     instar 2    3-4 days     instar 3    3-4 days    instar 4    3-5 days        instar 5   4-7 days       pupa   7-8 days         Total egg to adult   26-36 days
All times are approximate and can vary depending on the season and on the host used.

Larval Hosts:  Ixora congesta, Ixora lucida, Ixora javanica (Rubiaceae), Mammea siamensis (Calophyllaceae), Acalypha wilkesiana (Euphorbiaceae), Ziziphus attopensis (Rhamnaceae).  Actual host plant used depends upon location and availabilty of plant species.

Adult Food Sources:  Nectar - although this species is reportedly fond of flowers there are no recorded instances of it actually feeding on nectar.   Other - mud puddling, animal dung, over-ripe fruits

Lebadea martha
Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand  ♂

Lebadea martha
Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand  ♀

Lebadea martha
Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand  ♀

Lebadea martha
Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand  ♂

Lebadea martha
Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand  ♂

Mammea siamensis
Mammea siamensis, a larval host

Ziziphus attopensis
Ziziphus attopensis, another larval host

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

 

                     Links to other pages in this series for species in the same subfamily

  
 
               This page updated 18th August 2023