: THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE NILGIRI MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHERN INDIA (LEPIDOPTERA : 1 RHOPALOCERA ) Torben B. Larsen 2 [Continued from Vol 84(2) 316] Satyrinae Any hope that I had of a consistent pattern was rudely dissipated, but long term records MELANITINI on the seasonal forms of this butterfly from anywhere in India are still highly desirable. 151. Melanitis leda leda Drury All the Evening Browns are fond of rotting The common evening brown is one of the fruits, but they visit flowers only occasionally. few truly ubiquitous butterflies and it may be I have only once seen large numbers of this found literally anywhere in the Nilgiris, albeit species at Lantana during an early morning in very fluctuating numbers. The two seasonal in Delhi park. The range covers all of Africa, forms are very different indeed (see Brake- southern Arabia, the Oriental region, the field & Larsen 1 984 for a discussion on seasonal Papuan subregion, and the Pacific as far as variation in this and other species). In a place the Bismarck Islands. Many remote ocean like Delhi with strong and temporally well- islands have populations of this butterfly. defined dry and wet seasons, the wet season form occurs during the wet season and is 152. Melanitis zitenius gokala Moore immediately replaced by a large dry season The great evening brown is larger than brood at the end of the monsoon. The camou- the two other South Indian species, the costa flaged dry season form seems to carry the of the forewings is more rounded, and the entire population through the long dry and cold apical markings of the forewing upperside gene- winter and spring. Because of the great eco- rally more luxuriant than in M. leda. Small logical variation in the Nilgiris matters appear dry season specimens may be confused less clear cut. From the time I arrived in April on casual inspection, but hardly in set speci- till I left in October I nearly only saw dry mens side by side. I have not found the species season specimens which appeared to be quies- at all common in the Nilgiris except on one cent. As time went by they became fewer and occasion on the Nadgani Ghat in September fewer as well as increasingly worn. During the 1986, when I saw more than a dozen speci- wet months of July to September very few mens. Wynter-Blyth reports that it is some- were seen and at no time was any mass wet times common on the Coonoor Ghat and at in evidence, though occasional season brood Kallar where I have not seen it, but his re- with wet season specimens were met among cords are from December and January when the few remaining, battered dry season ones. I was not in the area. The wet season form never has the large underside eye-spots so 1 Accepted January 1987. prominent in M. leda. The distribution covers 2 Snoghoj alle 29C. 2770 Kastrup. Denmark. 560 BUTTERFLIES OF THE N1LG1RI MOUNTAINS South India, then from Kumaon east to Indo- actually seen it in nature since the likeness in China and the Greater Sunda Islands. cabinet specimens is much less. The species is found in Sri Lanka, in South India, then 153. Melanitis phedima varaha Moore from about Dehra Dun to the Philippines, The dark evening brown is much darker Borneo and the Lesser Sunda Islands. In the than the other two, so much so that this is Philippines, Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo the enough to tell them apart. The apical eye female is not mimetic and looks like the male. spots lack the orange of the two other species. It is a somewhat scarce species of lowland LETHINI forest, there being records from Kallar, Mukkali and various points on the Nadgani Ghat. My 155. Lethe europa ragalva Fruhstorfer field notes show a specimen from near Kotagiri The bamboo treebrown is not rare in the in 1958 but this is exceptional. It may occur Nilgiris though it is somewhat local and un- in the subtropical forests, and I found it quite predictable in occurrence. It is usually found common in such a habitat on the Biligiriranga in lowland forest where bamboo abounds, but Mountains in August, 1986, even occasionally it will colonise rice growing areas where in moist-deciduous forest. It is very difficult clumps of bamboo are left. Even when bamboo to catch since it usually frequents bamboo is present it will not be found in the drier thickets. Its habits do not differ much from formations such as the Masinagudi area. All those of M. leda, though I have no records the Lethe are very wary and difficult to catch, of its coming to light. The distribution covers not least just when you want to be certain of Sri Lanka, South India, Pachmarhi (in a rather the identification of a given specimen. This is special subspecies where the forewing apex is a great nuisance since the three species are broadly yellow), and from Jammu east to not identifiable with absolute certainty in the the Philippines and Sumatra. field. Their habits are somewhat skulking in dense bamboo, but they will come to damp ELYMNIINI patches, rotting fruit and fresh cowpats, though they never lose their shyness. They can also 154. Elymnias hypermnestra caudata Butler be trapped in traps baited with rotten crab, The common palmfly is usually rather perhaps the best way of obtaining a good scarce in the Nilgiris, though occasionally it series. Occasionally they are attracted to lights may be common in late September/October in the late evening. It is absent from Sri Lanka, in the plantations at Kallar where it feeds on found in much of India and extending to most the coconut and areca palms that are among of the Oriental region. the main crops. I have also taken it at Kallar in June and small numbers on the Nadgani 156. Lethe drypetis todara Moore Ghat at various times. The butterflies do not I have not found the Tamil treebrown fly much spontaneously and often have to be nearly as common as imputed by Wynter-Blyth, beaten out of the palms. Sexual dimorphism having seen it chiefly in bamboo infested is very strong, the female being a very credible moist-deciduous forest in the Wynaad. It mimic of the two common Danaids, Danaus comes freely to foul substances and I have genutia and D. chrysippus. How credible caught five specimens at the same time on will only be apparent to those that have fresh leopard droppings. When not engaged in 561 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 84 such pursuits the species is very difficult to ristics and distribution, but in the event I get at, the flight being very erratic. I have found them rather scarce and have insufficient taken some also on the lower parts of the comparative material. The notes given under Nadgani Ghat, and I found it common in each of the species refer to the wet season moist-deciduous forest in the Biligiriranga forms. The dry season form have reduced Mountains. A specimen taken back to Kotagiri underside eye-spots and are more variable, thus for photography escaped and was immediately being even more difficult to identify. Females, snapped up and consumed by my resident especially single specimens, are impossible to White Spotted Fantail Flycatcher ( Rhipidura be certain of. For the species numbered 159 atbicollis). The species is endemic to Sri Lanka to 164 it is also likely that the taxonomy will and South India. need changing. It is based largely on Evans (1932) and Wynter-Blyth (1944, 1957). I do, 157. Lethe rohria neelgheriensis however, believe that the number of species Guerin-Meneville is correct. Talbot, fauna of British India, The common treebrown is more of a hill links the taxa orcha and subdita as subspecies insect than the two other South Indian Lethe of M. visala. On both morphological and dis- and it is somewhat weaker on the wing. It tributional grounds I do not find this an attrac- shares the habit of coming to various foul tive solution. substances and sugary material. During my childhood we had a flourishing colony at Spring 158. Mycalesis anaxias anaxias Hewitson Cottage in Kotagiri, but during 1986 I found The white bar bushbrown is one of the it only in the Biligiriranga Mountains, where it few species that is especially linked to the was common in subtropical evergreen and middle heights subtropical evergreen forests, moist-deciduous forest near the Honametti rarely being found in the tropical zone and Estate. The range covers Sri Lanka, South only occasionally in the montane forests. I India, suitable spots on the Indian peninsula, have not found it at all common and neither then east to China and Bali, for some odd did Hampson. Wynter-Blyth’s optimistic assess- reason wholly bypassing Malaysia. ment must be based on a few exceptionally vigorous colonies in his immediate area. I have MYCALESINI only seen a few specimens on the upper reaches of the Nadgani Ghat, near Devala, in The genus Mycalesis a bit of relict forest near Naduvattam, and at The Bushbrowns of the genus Mycalesis form Law’s Falls below Coonoor. The species hardly ever emerges forest. It is a large and difficult complex which is in need from dense found of revision. Three of the Nilgiri species are in South India and then recurs from Nepal to Indo-China and Malaysia, generally as easily identified: M. anaxias with its promi- a mon- nent white bar, M. adolphei with the thin red tane or submontane species. ring about the forewing eye-spot, and the 159.