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Bali Impressions-Animals in and around your
house or Hotel-Butterflies |
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Tailed
Jay, Green Spotted Triangle- Graphium agamemnon-Papilioninae |
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| Native South East Asia Wingspan
7-8 cm |
The female has much longer tails and a
distinct greenish white streak on the lower margin of
the hind wing. This streak is visible on both sides of
the hind wing if examined in hand. In flight, it is
difficult to distinguish between the sexes.
The ground colour of the upperside of both sexes is
black, and is studded with pale green spots that are a
fluorescent green in freshly emerged specimens. The
underside is mottled with green, brown, purple and gray.
Although the Tailed Jay spends much of its time in the
canopy, it frequently comes down to nectar on small
trees, bushes and shrubs, Lanata being one of its
favorites. Unlike the Lime Butterfly, it stays away from
flowers near the ground. While nectaring, its wings
vibrate very rapidly over a small acute angle, allowing
it to move at 'lightning' speed to the next flower a few
inches away.
The males of this species, unlike others in the group,
do not visit wet soil or sand. At night, it rests on a
leaf with its wings folded up above its abdomen, the
forewings slightly pulled inside the hind wings, making
it look smaller than it really is.
The first instar larva resembles bird droppings and so
can remain safely on the upper surface of leaves in
clear view of the predators. Its camouflage is quite
impressive to keep the predators deceived. As the larva
gets larger, the bird dropping strategy becomes
ineffective (after all, bird droppings can get only so
big!) and the larva assumes a green colour that blends
them well into their surroundings.
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Caterpillar feed on: |
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Anona glabra |
Desmos chinensis |
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Annona reticulata |
Michelia x alba |
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Annona squamosa |
Michelia champaca |
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Artabotrys hexapetalus |
Michelia figo |
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Annona muricata |
Uvaria macrophylla |
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