Libythea myrrha
Encyclopedia
The Club Beak is a butterfly found in India that belongs to the Libytheinae
group of the Brush-footed butterflies
family.
Variable in the extent and breadth of the orange-yellow markings and in the mottling and ground-colour of the underside. Typically males and females have the groundcolour on the upperside dark brown, with the following orange-yellow markings :—
Fore wing: a streak from base along the median vein extending narrowly on each side of it and continued beyond as a comparatively large oval spot in base of interspace 2; two preapical double spots placed obliquely to the costa. Hind wing uniform, with a slightly oblique narrow medial band extending from vein 1 to vein 5. Underside fore wing : ground-colour brown; orange-yellow markings as on the upperside, but broader, more diffuse; apex and dorsal margin broadly shaded with pale grey irrorated with minute dark spots and transverse short striae. Hind wing greyish brown irrorated with minute dark spots and short transverse striae, and shaded in the cell, on the middle of the costal margin, and on the middle of the termen with diffuse brown. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen dark brown ; beneath, palpi, thorax and abdomen greyish brown.
The larger varieties, with very broad orange markings on both fore and hind wings, have been separated as race sanguinalis. This is chiefly a Himalayan and Eastern form. Variety rama Moore is the smaller Southern and Ceylon form, with the orange markings much narrower and restricted and the preapical double spots entirely white, or white slightly suffused with yellow. Every gradation between the two forms, however, can be found. Many specimens are identical with typical forms from Java.
Wing expanse of 46-58 mm.
Found along the Himalayas, from Kulu to Sikkim; the Western Ghats and southern India; Sri Lanka; Assam; Myanmar; Tenasserim ; the Malayan Peninsula ; China.
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Libytheinae
Libytheinae is the nymphalid subfamily of the snout butterflies, containing two valid genera and about 10 species, 6 in Libythea and 4 in Libytheana. The common name refers to the thick labial palps that look like a "snout" in this subfamily. In older literature, this group was recognized as the...
group of the Brush-footed butterflies
Nymphalidae
The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called...
family.
Description
- See glossaryGlossary of Lepidopteran termsThis glossary describes the terms used in the formal descriptions of insect species, jargon used mostly by professionals or entomologist....
for terms used
Variable in the extent and breadth of the orange-yellow markings and in the mottling and ground-colour of the underside. Typically males and females have the groundcolour on the upperside dark brown, with the following orange-yellow markings :—
Fore wing: a streak from base along the median vein extending narrowly on each side of it and continued beyond as a comparatively large oval spot in base of interspace 2; two preapical double spots placed obliquely to the costa. Hind wing uniform, with a slightly oblique narrow medial band extending from vein 1 to vein 5. Underside fore wing : ground-colour brown; orange-yellow markings as on the upperside, but broader, more diffuse; apex and dorsal margin broadly shaded with pale grey irrorated with minute dark spots and transverse short striae. Hind wing greyish brown irrorated with minute dark spots and short transverse striae, and shaded in the cell, on the middle of the costal margin, and on the middle of the termen with diffuse brown. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen dark brown ; beneath, palpi, thorax and abdomen greyish brown.
The larger varieties, with very broad orange markings on both fore and hind wings, have been separated as race sanguinalis. This is chiefly a Himalayan and Eastern form. Variety rama Moore is the smaller Southern and Ceylon form, with the orange markings much narrower and restricted and the preapical double spots entirely white, or white slightly suffused with yellow. Every gradation between the two forms, however, can be found. Many specimens are identical with typical forms from Java.
Wing expanse of 46-58 mm.
Found along the Himalayas, from Kulu to Sikkim; the Western Ghats and southern India; Sri Lanka; Assam; Myanmar; Tenasserim ; the Malayan Peninsula ; China.
Larva
"Colour dark green, sometimes with a brownish tinge, with a thin dorsal light yellow line from segments 4 to 12 and a narrow yellow supra-spiracular band from the head to the anal end." (Lionel de NicévilleLionel de Nicéville
Charles Lionel Augustus de Nicéville was a curator at the Indian Museum in Calcutta . He studied the butterflies of South Asia and wrote a three volume monograph on the butterflies of India, Pakistan, Burma and Sri Lanka.Born in a noble Huguenot family, his father was a physician. He was educated...
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Pupa
"The front of the pupa seen from above is absolutely square, the head ending in a broad straight edge; .... thorax somewhat convex and highly carinated along the dorsal line . ...; wings slightly thickened at and behind the shoulder; .... colour light green with the tops oil all the carinations yellow, with a black speck on the abdominal peak; the surface of the pupa smooth, somewhat shiny." (de Nicéville)See also
- LibytheinaeLibytheinaeLibytheinae is the nymphalid subfamily of the snout butterflies, containing two valid genera and about 10 species, 6 in Libythea and 4 in Libytheana. The common name refers to the thick labial palps that look like a "snout" in this subfamily. In older literature, this group was recognized as the...
- NymphalidaeNymphalidaeThe Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called...
- List of butterflies of India
- List of butterflies of India (Nymphalidae)