GOLDEN ANGLE

The Golden angle

THE TAMIL SPOTTEDFLAT

The Tamil spotted flat resembles the Common spotted flat but is altogether less common species and restricted to the higher elevations of the Western ghats than the later. The white band on the forewing of the Common spotted flat is replaced by a discontinous series of spots in this species.

THE SOUTHERN SPOTTED ACE

THE SOUTHERN SPOTTED ACE THORESSA ASTIGMATA, IS ONE OF THE COMMON SPECIES OF ACE OF OUR MIDLAND FORESTS.THE ADULTS AND THE LARVAE CLOSELY RESEMBLE THE SITALA ACE THORESSA SITALA, A VERY RARE AND ENDEMIC SPECIES OF THE PENINSULA.RECENTLY BOTH THE SPECIES WERE REARED BY US,THIS WAS THE FIRST REPORT OF THE EARLY STAGES OF SITALA ACE WHOSE LIFE CYCLE WAS UNKNOWN TILL THEN.

THE HAMPSON'S HEDGE HOPPER

HAMPSONS HEDGEHOPEPR OR BARACUS HAMPSONI,IS ONE OF THE SEASONALLY COMMON SKIPPERS OF OUR HIGLANDS. MANY A TIME ITS LARVAE HAS BEEN REARED BY US.THE BREIFNESS OF ITS ADULTS PRESENCE MAY WELL BE A SUGGESTION TO STRONG MIGRATORY INSTINCTS.

THE GIANT REDEYE

TRUE TO ITS NAME ITS THE GIANT AMONG HESPERIIDAE OF OUR COUNTRY! SCIENTIFICALLY GANGARA THYRSIS ITS LARVAE IS VERY COMMON ON ALL KINDS OF PALMS AND CALAMUS.THE CATERPILLARS ARE LARGE,WHITE AND THE BODY IS COVERED IN WHITE CEREOUS POWDER THAT GROW OUT A LONG STRANDS.THE CELL IS SHAPED IN A SPIRAL FASHION AT THE END OF THE LEAF.

THE RIPARIAN TREKS

THE TREK PATH TOTHE MEENMUTTI WATERFALLS IN THE INTERIORS OF KALLAR PROVIDES GOOD OPORTUNITY TO WATCH RARE HESPERIIDS LIKE QUEDARA BASIFLAVA THE GOLDEN TREEFLITTER- A NARROWLY ENDEMIC SPECIES,THORESSA HONOREI THE MADRAS ACE,THORESSA ASIGMATA AND THE ORANGE TAILED AWL BIBASIS SENA.

THE PLAIN PALM DART

THUS FAR THE BUTTERFLY COUNT FROM THE WESTERN GHATS HAS BEEN 333. WITH OUR FINDING OF THE PLAIN PALM DART CEPHRENES PALMARUM THE COUNT WILL SOON OFFICIALLY GO UP BY ONE. THE DISTRIBUTIONAL RANGE OF THE PLAIN PALM DART HAD EARLIER BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THE WEST BENGAL, TO MYANMAR, JAVA, PHILIPPINES AND THE ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS.THE BUTTERFLY WAS RECENTLY DISCOVERED BY US AT THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, KERALA . THE MALE OF THIS BUTTERFLY IS EASILY CONFUSED WITH TELICOTA GENUS THE PALMDARTS- TELICOTA COLON PALE PALM DART AND TELICOTA ANCILLA THE DARK PALM DART,BOTH OF WHICH ARE QUITE COMMON IN THESE PARTS. FEMALES ARE UNMISTAKABLE.BUT THE SIMILARITIES ARE ONLY SUPERFICIAL. A CLOSER STUDIY REVEALS THE DIFFERENCES.

AN INTRODUCTION

This Blog is about the butterflies of Southern Western Ghats of Peninsular India, and is primarily dedicated to the butterflies of family Hesperiidae-The Skippers.

We- Kalesh and Satya, are from Kerala in south western India.A doctor and Engineer by profession, studying butterflies of Family Hesperiidae is our second passion since the last 6 years.The posts in this Blogseries is based on our field observations on butterflies in and around the Ashambu Hills in South Western Ghats in Southern Kerala.