Athyma nefte (Cramer, 1777) - 相思帶蛺蝶 - Colour Sergeant

Life history of Athyma nefte (Nymphalidae Family)by photographs

EGG (A) - The egg is greenish yellow in colour and is laid singly on the underside of leaves of its host plant. It measures about 0.9 to 1.0 mm in diameter and the caterpillar will emerge in about 3 days.

CATERPILLAR / LARVA (B) - The larva will stay on top of leaf and feed on the leaf on which it rests. It grows from about 2.0mm to 3.3cm in length. The larval stage lasts about 23 days.

CHRYSALIS / PUPA (C) - The larva will pupate on the underside of leaf and the pupa measures about 1.5 to 1.7cm. The adult butterfly will emerge in about 8 days during the summer months.

ADULT (D) - The adult male and female are not alike. In fact, they are totally different and the female is generally larger in comparison with the male butterfly. The butterfly is a common dweller in wooded areas throughout Hong Kong. It is a sun lover and feeds readily on nectar of flowers.

NAME OF FOOD PLANT (E)- Glochidion eriocarpum Champ. ex Benth (Euphorbiaceae)

OTHER RECORDED FOOD PLANT - other Glochidion spp.

STATUS - common.

WING SPAN - approx. 5.5 to 6.0 cm.

VOLTISINISM - many generations in a year.

FLIGHT PERIOD / TIME OF YEAR - March to December.

(Prepared by J. J. Young)

©2004 Hong Kong Lepidopterists' Society Limited