Idea leuconoe

White tree nymph (Idea leuconoe)

The White tree nymph (Idea leuconoe ) is a large white butterfly ( butterfly ) with black drawing of the family Nymphalidae ( Nymphalidae ), which is often shown in butterfly zoos. The species is widespread in Southeast Asia to a height of about 800 m. Due to significant differences in the number bulb -shaped fleshy appendages of the caterpillars of individual subspecies could be a Artkomplex.

• 6.1 food of the caterpillars

• 8.1 Notes and references

Features

Butterfly

The adults can reach a wingspan of 95-115 mm. They have slightly transparent, white wings, whose wing veins are black. You also have, especially along the outer edge of the fore wings, but otherwise on the wings distributed black spots. Approximately in the middle of the front edge of the front wing sits a large black spot and depending on the outside next to another smaller. The outer edge is wide colored black, with white spots in it are to be seen.

The male moths have in addition to the typical for the tribe pair of hair that can be discharged on the abdomen, typical for the genus smaller pair lying about it. The shaft of the smaller is each coupled to the shaft of the larger.

Egg

The surface of the pale yellow to pale pink, oval egg is covered by a honeycomb-like pattern of small depressions. Longitudinal lie one above the other about 15 hexagons and 21 run around the axis. To the micropyle are two rings of much smaller wells.

Caterpillar

The caterpillars wear typical of the subfamily Danainae bulb -shaped fleshy appendages in pairs on mesothorax, metathorax and abdominal segment 2 and 8 on abdominal segment 7 show only at the subspecies Idea leuconoe riukiuensis short fleshy appendages, all other subspecies have only a pair of small buds. Idea leuconoe nigriana has additional short projections on abdominal segment 3 to 6

The black caterpillars have white bands at the segment boundaries and laterally partially red spots between the white strip from the thorax to the 8th abdominal segment. The width of the horizontal stripes and the size of the spots varies depending on the subspecies and within the subspecies, sometimes they are missing in some segments entirely. Idea leuconoe clara can have both narrow as well as broad white rings and up to large patches on abdominal segment 2, 6 and 7, only small red spots. Similarly, there are caterpillars of the subspecies in which all stains well trained and are almost equal.

Doll

The glossy Stürzpuppe has an orange -yellow to golden color and is black speckled. The side of the thorax runs a band of black dots, which are sometimes so large that they merge into one another. On abdominal form further distributed black dots several lateral rows. On head and the edges of the elytra more sometimes run only weak black lines. The elytra bear only a few small black times.

Mimicry

The White Tree Nymph is the rare swallowtail butterfly Graphium idaeoides in the Philippines as a model for mimicry. From the White Tree Nymph is Graphium idaeoides distinguished by a slightly wavy outer edge of the hind wings and six legs instead of four. The front pair of legs of the White tree nymph, is typical of Edelfalter to right on the head seated plaster paws, reduced.

Occurrence

The distribution area of the White Tree Nymph extends into Southeast Asia from the south of Burma, Thailand and Cambodia via Malaysia and parts of Indonesia (Sumatra and Borneo), the Philippines to Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands.

The moths are often kept in zoos butterfly, where they reach an age 19-104 days here.

Habitat

The moths are typical forest dwellers, which are also found in secondary forests. Besides Idea agamarschana the White Tree Nymph is the only species of the genus, which is found in mangrove forests. The vertical distribution ranges from coastal regions where it is particularly common, up to 800 meters above sea level. NN on.

Way of life

The flight of the butterfly looks clumsy and awkward. They hardly seem to be able to with their weak muscles to control their large wings. This impression is deceptive, since they can fly fast too, although they have a slow wing beat. Individual butterflies fly slowly and often sail under the canopy or on seedlings in five to 10 meters in height. In clearings and paths they sail sometimes with the ground. They often rest on protruding branches and rarely visit flowers. The moths are sociable and sometimes fly around certain trees, which is not known what attracts them.

Courting males can hover for minutes at one point thanks to their excellent coordination. They remain about 30 cm above a seated female in vegetation and fan him with their wing beats pheromones ( Viridifloric β - lactone and Danaidon ) from their tufts of hair to. The pheromones are formed from alkaloids, already receive the caterpillars of the food plants. The females identify suitable plants of the genus Parsonsia for oviposition, in the case of Parsonsia laevigata to the pyrrolizidine Parsonsianin, Parsonsianidin and 17- Methylparsonsianidin, while the similar Parsonin does not matter.

Lifestyle of the crawler

From the third to the early stage, the caterpillars feed circular holes in the leaves of the food plants and feed on the tissue of this incision. In the fourth and fifth stage of the caterpillars bite first through the leaf stalk before they start to eat away from the earlier Frassstellen. In the mangroves of Brunei the caterpillars of the White Tree Nymph build on the leaves of Parsonsia spiralis in the first to third stage a yellow ring of foam around the Frassstellen. The foam ring, it protects up to 6 hours before the weaver ant Oecophylla smarigdina until it dries up and is ineffective. Triggers an ant to such a ring if the caterpillar is not moving, so they shrink back, brushing her antennae and looking at a different point on. Moves, however, the caterpillar inside the ring, so the ant is aware of them and tried up to five times to overcome the foam. She can not manage most and she cleans her antennae and legs, and also examined in another place for food. 10 to 17 such attacks keep from foam rings that are not older than two hours. This behavior is known only from occurring in the same area Euploea Crameri within the subfamily Danainae. In the genus Stauronema from the family of the Real sawflies ( Tenthredinidae ), this behavior is also known, which shows that this behavior has evolved independently at least twice.

Food of the caterpillars

The caterpillars feed on Parsonsia helicandra, Parsonsia spiralis and Parsonsia laevigata from the family of the dogbane family ( Apocynaceae ) and Cynanchum formosanum and Tylophora hispida from the family of milkweed plants ( Asclepiadoideae ). These plants contain toxic alkaloids for vertebrates such as Parsonin ( C15H21NO5 ) in the case of Parsonsia laevigata.

Subspecies

From the White Tree Nymph many subspecies have been described, the presence of which is often limited to single islands.

• Idea leuconoe siamensis (Godfrey, 1916): Thailand, Cambodia, and the very southern Burma
• Idea leuconoe chersonesia ( Fruhstorfer, 1898): Malaysia ( Tioman ), Sumatra, Bangka, Riau Islands, Lingga archipelago, Belitung, Krakatau
• Idea leuconoe natunensis Snellen, 1895: Natuna Islands
• Idea leuconoe nigriana Grose- Smith, 1895: Borneo, Banggi, Taganak
• Idea leuconoe princesa Staudinger, 1889: Palawan
• Idea leuconoe Vicetia Fruhstorfer, 1911: Dumaran
• Idea leuconoe gordita Fruhstorfer, 1911: Mindoro, Ticao
• Idea leuconoe Solyma Fruhstorfer, 1910: Bayuyan
• Idea leuconoe Athesis Fruhstorfer, 1911: Polillo Archipelago
• Idea leuconoe obscura Staudinger, 1889: Negros, Panay, Leyte, Bohol, Mindanao, Dinagat, Basilan
• Idea leuconoe samara Fruhstorfer, 1910: Samar
• Idea leuconoe fregela Fruhstorfer, 1911: Siargao
• Idea leuconoe princesa Staudinger, 1889: Sulu Archipelago
• Idea leuconoe clara ( Butler, 1867): Taiwan
• Idea leuconoe kwashotoensis ( Sonan, 1928 ): on the Taiwanese islands Lü Dao Lan Yu ( " Orchid Island " )
• Idea leuconoe riukiuensis Holland, 1893: on the Japanese Ryukyu Islands ( Kikaijima )
• Idea leuconoe godmani Oberthuer, 1878: Sangihe
• Idea leuconoe esanga Fruhstorfer, 1898: Talaud Islands
• Idea leuconoe lasiaka van Eecke, 1913: Simeulue
• Idea leuconoe vedana Fruhstorfer, 1906 Nias, Batu Islands
• Idea leuconoe engania: ( Doherty, 1891) Enggano
• Idea leuconoe karimondjawae van Eecke, 1933: Karimunjawa
• Idea leuconoe gamaoi Jumalon, 1975: Cebu
• Idea leuconoe moira Fruhstorfer, 1910
• Idea leuconoe caesena Fruhstorfer, 1911
• Idea leuconoe javana Fruhstorfer, 1896