[Movie File] Japanese Oakblue (Narathura japonica)

[Movie File] Japanese Oakblue (Narathura japonica)

Japanese Oakblue (Narathura japonica) is found from northern Honshu to Okinawa. Outside Japan it is confined to Taiwan and Korea. Adult butterfly hibernates and sometimes is seen active even in winter when it is warm. Larva feeds on various oaks (Quercus spp.). Recently this species is found at the center of Tokyo because the foodplants are abundant in parks and streets.

▲ Basking. To bend its body towards the ground

▲ Basking. Shiny Blue on its upperside is broader in males

(Hachiouji, Tokyo JAPAN Feb. 2013)

Searching for "Romeo" in Panay, Philippines

Kitamura's collection (Nymphalidae in Philippines)

 

Searching for "Romeo" in Panay, Philippines

   The late Mr. KITAMURA Minoru (1937-2003) is a Japanese butterfly enthusiast who made a great contribution to the study on immature stages of many butterflies in Philippines. He worked as a civil engineer but spent most of his spare time on the study of butterflies.

   Recently small part of his collection was donated to RIEB (Research Institute of Evolutionary Biology) where our secretariat is housed.

   Here the author of this blog would like to introduce his collection to the memory of him. This collection contains chiefly Nymphalidae and Hesperiidae in Philippines. Almost all specimens were collected by himself or his native staffs. So the collecting data is precise.

   Among these precious specimens, Romeo's Assyrian (Terinos romeo) is one of the most remarkable specimens.

Romeo's Assyrian (Terinos romeo), Male (Panay, Philippines)

 

   This beautiful species was first described from Panay in 1984 by Schröder and Treadaway who are well-known Lepidopterists specialized in butterflies in Philippines. After the discovery, no additional record had been obtained until Mr. KITAMURA re-discovered this species in northern Panay.

The location of Panay Island (Red dot)

Detailed map of the collecting site (by KITAMURA, 1993)

 

    In 1993, KITAMURA visited Panay to join the baptismal service for his Philipino relative. Then he went into the jungle for searching butterflies as usual. There he found one strange-looking Nymphalid butterfly visiting the tree flower. He got it but could not identify it. After going back home in Manila and checked the book. Soon he shouted "Oh, this is ROMEO!!"

After this discovery, he has visited there many times to unveil the early stages of this butterfly. But he could not make it though he found the female of this species for the first time in the world.

Romeo's Assyrian (Terinos romeo), Female (Panay, Philippines)

 

   He suddenly passed away in 2003. He has unveiled the early stages of more than 200 butterfly species in Philippines. His unprecedant achievement greatly contributed to the book, "The Life Histories of Asian Butterflies" (Vol.1-2) by Igarashi and Fukuda.

   KITAMURA's abrupt death was definitely a great loss to the study of butterflies in Philippines.  

2012 Annual Meeting

2012 Annual Meeting

   On December 15, we had the annual meeting at the University of Tokyo. Same as the last time, we had plenty of presentations so it started from the morning time.

   This year Dr. KATO Yoshiomi (Emeritus professor of International Christian University) won HAYASHI Prize. He made a special presentation titled "My life to unravel the mystery of butterflies: How was Japanese population of “Eurema hecabe” diveded into two good species?"

                            Dr. KATO (left) and Mr. Uémura, President of BSJ(right)

   In the afternoon, the presentations on Zephyrus Hairstreaks are carried out by various speakers. This featured topic contains the latest information on this group from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, Bhutan and Myanmar. Among them, the final presentation made by Mr. Shizuya Hideo drew much attention. His presentation was on the newly discovered Zephyrus from W. Myanmar. He himself has been studying the butterfly fauna in Myanmar for almost 20 years. He has discovered many new and interesting species so far. Last June he found another striking new species from western Myanmar.

Mr. Shizuya made his presentation on new Zephyrus species from Myanmar

   This new species was described as Burmaozephyrus kothayaungi (gen. et sp. nov.). Definitely the most remarkable discovery in 2012!!

Burmaozephyrus kothayaungi (gen. et sp. nov.)

 

   After the presentation session, the party was held.

  We welcomed 150 participants in total, very successful meeting.

Ludlow's Bhutan Glory was discovered from India!!

Ludlow's Bhutan Glory(Bhutanitis ludlowi) was discovered from India!!

▲ A male of Bhutanitis ludlowi visiting a flower

(Trashiyangtse, E. Bhutan, Aug. 2011)  Photo by WATANABE Yasuyuki



 

A great news has just arrived from India!

 

   Ludlow's Bhutan Glory (Bhutanitis ludlowi) was discovered from Arunachal Pradesh, India. This magnificent swallowtail was re-discovered after almost 80-year absence in 2009. This species was thought to be endemic to small area of eastern Bhutan. In 2011, our society has a joint research with Bhutanese government and unveiled its biology.

 

   The observation and finding in our survey was described in our journal, Butterflies No.60.

 

    see  http://bsj-t.blogspot.jp/2012/06/our-journal-butterflies-teinopalpus.html

 

   The new discovery from India expands the distribution of this swallowtail. 

 

   Details are available from the following link.

 

   see  http://ifoundbutterflies.org/54-bhutanitis/bhutanitis-ludlowi

 

 

Our journal, Butterflies (Teinopalpus) No.61 has been published!

 ▲"Butterflies (Teinopalpus)" No.61

 

Our journal, Butterflies (Teinopalpus) No.61 has been published!     Our journal Butterflies (Teinopalpus) has just been published. In this new volume No.61, the featured paper is as follows.

Miyagi, A. Field observations of Pithecops corvus from autumn through next spring in Okinawa Island

 

▲The paper



This issue is available for non-members. Those who would like to get the copy, please send e-mail to the following address. One copy is 40 US$ (including the international postal fee)

[Contact] welcome_scripts@yahoo.co.jp

 

[Movie File] Ovipositional behavior of Vanessa indica

[Movie File]　Ovipositional behavior of Vanessa indica　
   It is amazing that butterflies can select their foodplants correctly to lay eggs from numerous kinds of plants growing in the field. Once the mother butterfly successfully comes near to her foodplant then she starts to drum the surfice of nearby leaves at random to find the real one. This is because the butterfly has the chemotactile receptor on its foretarsus so it tries to "taste" the plant chemically by this behavior.

 

▲Usual style of the adult butterfly. Forelegs are folded on the thorax.

 

▲Forelegs magnified.

　In the case of Nymphalid butterfly, it uses the forelegs which are usually folded on its thorax. This video is the female of Indian Admiral (Vanessa indica) which is drumming its foodplant, Ramie (Boehmeria nivea) by its forelegs. In the field, it is not easy to observe such an interesting behavior.

(Okinawa, JAPAN September, 2009)

 

 

An abberant form of Common Bluebottle (Graphium sarpedon)

▲Graphium sarpedon (Vietnam)
　Left; Normal form Right; Abberant form(preserved in RIEB)

▲　Ditto, underside

An abberant form of Common Bluebottle (Graphium sarpedon)

   Common bluebottle (Graphium sarpedon) is known to have an abberant form which lacks almost all its bluish spots on its wings. This blackish form is very rare but found in many places from old days. Checking the wing patterns of this form carefully, one can find out the one bluish spot on its each forewing's apex usually remains although all the other bluish spots are missing. The reason is not certain but it is possible that this spot may have some special meaning.

"Rainbow Bridge" A huge artwork made of butterfly specimens

"Rainbow Bridge" A huge artwork made of butterfly specimens

　Above photo is the huge artwork made of numerous butterfly specimens such as Great Purple Emperor (Sasakia charonda), Morpho spp., Delias spp. and so on. You can see this great work in the 10-year anniversary special exhibition held at Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History and Human History. Dr. Kyoichiro UEDA, the curator at this museum and the trustee of our society, will be welcoming you.

[Movie File] Fischer's Cupid (Tongeia fischeri)

[Movie File] Fischer's Cupid (Tongeia fischeri) 　

Fischer's Cupid (Tongeia fischeri) is a small Lycaenid butterfly which ranges broadly in eastern Eurasia. In Japan it can be seen from central to southern district. This species is popular among some Japanese butterfly enthusiasts because it flies until late in autumn after other butterfly species disappear. In addition it has a slight local variation in its wing markings, so some enthusiasts are eagerly collecting as many specimens as possible from various localities. Larva feeds on succulent plants such as Orostachys japonica.

(Matsumoto-shi, Nagano, JAPAN October 2012)

 

 ▲A adult butterfly basking. Blackish upperside has faint gloss under sunlight.



▲Foodplant; Orostachys japonica In autumn numerous small collective flowers bloom in ears. These flowers are good nectaring sources for adult butterflies.

 

 



The Constable (Genus Dichorragia) and its allies (Part 2)

▲Dichorragia nesimachus pelurius(C. Sulawesi, Indoneia)

[preserved in RIEB, Tokyo]

   Continued to the previous post, the Constable (Genus Dichorragia) and its allies are introduced. First of all, Dichorragia nesimachus has many sub-species especially in southeastern Asian Islands. One of the examples is shown above. This is the subspecies endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia. It is much larger in size and the pointed apex in forewings is quite different from Japanese subspecies.

▲Stibochiona nicea (Yunnan, China)

[preserved in RIEB, Tokyo]

▲Stibochiona coresia (Sumatra, Indonesia)

[preserved in RIEB, Tokyo]

 

   The above two species belong to Genus Stibochiona. This small Genus contains three species from India to southeastern Asian islands. Among them, Stibochiona nicea is confined to continental Asia from India to China including Indochina and Malaysia. Another species, Stibochiona coresia is known from Sumatra and Java in Indonesia. Both species seem to be allied species of Dichorragia nesimachus from thier wing markings. 

 

▲Amnosia decora (Sumatra, Indonesia)

[preserved in RIEB, Tokyo]

▲Ditto, Underside

 

   On the other hand, there is a very interesting species in Malaysia and Indonesia. Amnosia decora seems to belong to Amathusiinae or Satyrinae at a glance. But this species is definitely the allied species of Dichorragia nesimachus, considering its early stages. Amnosia is monotypic genus, this species is known from Malay Peninsula to Sumatra or Java.

　



The Constable (Genus Dichorragia) and its allies

 

 ▲A pupa of Dichorragia nesimachus

▲A newly emerged adult butterfly of Dichorragia nesimachus

▲A red proboscis of Dichorragia nesimachus

 

 The Constable (Genus Dichorragia) and its allies

The author of this blog happened to obtain the pupa of the Constable (Dichorragia nesimachus) the other day. The shape of the pupa looks quite similar to a dead leaf. Unexpectedly the adult butterfly has emerged from the pupa because of the warm weather in Tokyo. Thus here the author of this blog would like to introduce this beautiful Nymphalid butterfly.

The Constable (Dichorragia nesimachus) ranges rather broadly from Nepal or northern India in the west to New Guinea in the east. In Japan northern Honshu (mainland) is the northernmost of its distribution. Genus Dichorragia contains only three species, namely ninus (Moluccas and PNG), nisseus (SW China) and this species. A Chinese species, nisseus is shown above compared with nesimachus. Some researchers argue that nisseus is only a sub-species or mere variation of nesimachus, however it is likely to be a independent species.

▲D. nisseus(Sichuan, China) and D. nesimachus (Yunnan, China)

 

 The Tabby (Pseudergolis wedah) is known to one of allied species of  Genus Dichorragia although its wing markings are quite different from each other. But if one can study the early stages especially the pupa of both species, it can be easily understood that they are closely related. The figure shown above is from our journal "Butterflies" No.17.

▲Early stages of Pseudergolis wedah (after Butterflies No.17)

[Reference]
Harada, M. 1997, Early stages of Pseudergolis wedah in Sichuan, China. Butterflies 17:15-17.
　

[Movie File] Scent marking behavior of Parantica sita

[Movie File] Scent marking behavior of Parantica sita　

Males of Chestnut Tiger (Parantica sita) are known to have this behavior which is closely related to the mating behavior. The male scrubs the scent scales on the hindwing by the tip of his abdomen. The hairpencil on the tip of abdomen is exposed. It is assumed that the male collects scent scales which give off some pheromone on his hairpencil. When the male try to mate the female, he uses the hairpencil with the pheromone. Thus this behavior can be explained as the preparation for the mating. Interestingly males sometimes flutter their wings as if they try to cause the pheromone to permeate.

(Ishigaki-jima, Okinawa, JAPAN June 2010 / Okinawajima, Okinawa, JAPAN Oct. 2009)

 

▲A male flutters its wings as if he tries to cause the pheromone to permeate

▲The yellow hairpencil on the tip of the abdomen is exposed

[Movie File] Grey Commodore (Bhagadatta austenia)

[Movie File] Grey Commodore (Bhagadatta austenia)

　Grey Commodore (Bhagadatta austenia) is a unique Sino-Himalayan nymphalid species known from India, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and southern China. Generally it is found in the forest at 500-1,000m. Flight is strong. In Kachin state, northern Myanmar this butterfly was seen from April to September continuously. Adult butterflies were observed to be attracted by animal droppings or rotten fruits. The early stages of this species have been unveiled in southern China. (Wang and Morishita (1998)) The taxonomic status is still uncertain.

(Kachin state, northern MYANMAR May 1999)

 

【References】
Wang & Morishita, 1998. Note on the immature stages of Bhagadatta austenia in South China (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae). Butterflies 19: 30-32.

 

 ▲Bhagadatta austenia male Upperside (Kachin, N. MYANMAR)

 ▲Ditto, Underside

▲Early stages （after Wang & Morishita (1998)）



[Movie File] Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia)

[Movie File] Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia)

Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia) is one of the most common Fritillary butterflies seen in most of mainland Japan. It widely ranges from northern to southern part of Japan including some remote islands such as Sado-island, Oki-islands or Tsushima-island. This species likes to visit various flowers. Usually seen near small stream and forest. At low altitude adult butterflies appear from early June but immediately disappear there and again seen from middle September to October. Some researchers claim that adult butterflies of this species migrate from low altitude to highlands to take shelter from the summer heat. In cool places, adult butterflies can be seen continuously from July to September. The larva feeds on viola. Females of this species are known to have some color variation. Dark form (see figures) is rarely seen mostly in eastern Japan. The above figured dark form was collected in Tottori Prefecture in eastern Japan more than 40 years ago by Mr. Uemura Yoshinobu (President of our society), now preserved in RIEB, Tokyo.

  (Yamagata-shi, Yamagata, JAPAN Sep. 2012)

▲Female; Dark form (right; collected in Tottori, eastern Japan) and normal form, upperside (preserved in RIEB, Tokyo)

▲Ditto, underside

[Movie File] Chestnut Tiger (Parantica sita)

[Movie File] Chestnut Tiger (Parantica sita)

   Chestnut Tiger (Parantica sita) is a large-sized butterfly with extensive and transparent bluish white markings. This species is famous for its seasonal migration in Japan. In summer we see numerous adult butterflies in mountains but there is not the stable habitat. From late spring to early summer, this butterfly flies toward nothernpart of Japan, sometimes it is obesrved in Hokkaido, northernmost island. Spending summer at cool place like highlands, then from late summer this butterfly goes down to south. Larvae cannot survive the winter except warmer places in Japan. Now many people are enjoying "mark and release" research to record how far this butterfly migrates. It is reported that some butterfly had moved almost 2,000 km from north to south.

(Koushu-shi, Yamanashi, JAPAN Aug. 2012)



 

▲Male has sexual markings at the bottom of hindwings

(see yellow-circled spots)

▲Female does not have sexual markings (see yellow-circled spots)


 

[Movie File] Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)

▲Wing markings are unique. Deep-red in upperside reminds graceful velvet

 

   Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) is easy to identify because of its unique wing markings. The distribution of this species is covering almost all over Eurasia and North America. In Japan this species is confined to the mountains. It appears from middle August when other butterflies have already been worn. Flight is swift and glaceful. It rarely visits flowers, it is usually attracted by tree sap, rotten fruits or animal droppings. This species hibernate as an adult butterfly. In May or June worn butterflies with their wing edge in white are seen.

 (Koushu-shi, Yamanashi, JAPAN Aug. 2012)

[Movie File] Asama White Admiral (Ladoga glorifica)

[Movie File] Asama White Admiral (Ladoga glorifica)

Asama White Admiral (Ladoga glorifica) is endemic to mainland Japan (confined to Honshu). The English name "Asama" is derived from Mt. Asama where this species was discovered for the first time. This species looks quite similar to White Admiral (Ladoga camilla) which ranges broadly from Europe to China and Japan. To distinguish these two similar species, one must study very carefully. Generally speaking, the white band on upperside is more conspicuous in this species.
(Yamanakako, Yamanashi, JAPAN Aug. 2012)

[Movie File] Japanese White-Letter Hairstreak (Fixsenia mera)

[Movie File] Japanese White-Letter Hairstreak (Fixsenia mera)

Japanese White-Letter Hairstreak (Fixsenia mera)　is tiny and unremarkable butterfly often seen at mountain plateau and forest. The size and wing shape are easy to be confused with Zephyrus Hairstreaks. This species is endemic to Japan. It ranges fairly broadly from northern to southern Japan, however it is usually uncommon in everywhere. In western and southern part of Japan, it is definitely rare. In some localities, the conspicuous form which lacks white line on underside is known. These variation seems attractive to Lycaenidae enthusiasts, so some people are fond of collecting this species from various places.      
   This video was filmed in the highlands located at the foot of Mt. Fuji, the highest peak in Japan.
(Fujinomiya-shi, Shizuoka, Japan, Aug. 2012)

[Movie File] Defending behavior of A nymphalid pupa

[Movie File] Defending behavior of A nymphalid pupa

   Nymphalid pupae sometimes defend themselves against parasitic wasps by heavy rotary movements. This behavior has already been reported in papers but this time we introduce it in video file. Video is much more eloquent than text information. The author of this blog shows his deepest gratitude to Akino-taiin (Okinawa) for providing this interesting video.
(Okinawajima, Okinawa, JAPAN May 2012)

[Movie File] Great Purple Emperor (Sasakia charonda)

[Movie File] Great Purple Emperor (Sasakia charonda)　

   Great Purple Emperor (Sasakia charonda) is famous among Japanese as the national butterfly of Japan. It was selected in 1957 by the Entomological Society of Japan. In Japan, this species widely ranges from northern part (Hokkaido) through southern part (Kyushu). It appears once in a year from June. Males appear about a week earlier than females. This butterfly extremely likes to sip tree sap. Sometimes numerous butterflies are gathering at tree sap. Flight is swift and strong, this butterfly is surely a "king of summer forest". (Nirasaki-shi, Yamanashi, JAPAN July 2012)

         Male of  Great Purple Emperor (Sasakia charonda)