Bibasis sena explained

Bibasis sena, commonly known as the orange-tailed awlet, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae, the skippers.[1] It is also sometimes called the pale green awlet though that name can also refer to Bibasis gomata.

Distribution

This skipper is found in Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, south Vietnam, Hainan, Malay peninsula, Indonesian archipelago (including Borneo, Java, Kangean, Bali, Lombok, Bawean, Sumba, Sumbawa) and the Philippines.[1]

In India, this skipper is found in the Western Ghats including the Nilgiris, Kodagu, Kanara, and the Himalayas, from Shimla eastward to Northeast India and onto Myanmar (recorded in the Karens and Dawnas). Also found in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.[2] [3] [4]

The type locality for this species is the region of Bengal.[1]

Status

William Harry Evans (1932) records the orange-tail awl as rare in India and very rare in the Andaman islands. He records the butterfly as not rare in south Myanmar, the Malay Peninsula and parts of the Indonesian archipelago.[4]

Description

Both sexes: The butterfly has a wingspan of 45 to 50 mm.[4] Above, both sexes are an unblemished dark brown. The hindwings have an orange fringe. The abdomen is orange towards the rear. Below, the wings have white patches; the forewings having a large white central patch, and the hindwings having a broad pure white discal band.[3]

The male has no brands.[3]

Detailed description

Edward Yerbury Watson (1891) gives a detailed description as follows:

Taxonomy

The skipper has the following subspecies:

Habits

This butterfly is diurnal.[5] It is confined to heavy jungle of low elevations, typically up to 4000to. The male can be seen in the early mornings, basking on the top of leaves in forest glades and hilltops, chasing off intruders. The typical resting position of the orange-tail awl is the underside of the leaf. He does not mud-puddle or visit flowers. The female is usually found close to the host plants.[3]

Life history

The larva has been recorded on Combretum latifolium[1] and Combretum extensum in Kanara.[3] In the Andamans the larvae has been recorded on Hiptage benghalensis (Malpighiaceae).[6] [7]

References

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Notes and References

  1. Markku Savela's website on Lepidoptera Page on genus Bibasis.
  2. Book: A Synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India. R.K.. Varshney. Smetacek. Peter. Butterfly Research Centre, Bhimtal & Indinov Publishing, New Delhi. 2015. 978-81-929826-4-9. New Delhi. 23. 10.13140/RG.2.1.3966.2164.
  3. Book: Wynter-Blyth, Mark Alexander . Mark Alexander Wynter-Blyth . Butterflies of the Indian Region . 1957 . Bombay, India . . 978-8170192329 . 469–479 .
  4. Book: Evans . W.H. . William Harry Evans . The Identification of Indian Butterflies . 2nd . Mumbai, India . . 1932 . 319–320, ser no I3.1 .
  5. Vane-Wright and de Jong (2003) (see TOL web pages on genus Bibasis genus Burara in the Tree of Life Web Project) state that Bibasis contains just three diurnal species, of which sena remains in Bibasis due to its diurnal activity, while the crepuscular remainder having been removed to Burara. The species now shifted to Burara are morphologically and behaviorally distinct from Bibasis, within which many authors have formerly included them.
  6. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/research/projects/hostplants/search/list.dsml?searchPageURL=index.dsml&Familyqtype=starts+with&Family=&PFamilyqtype=starts+with&PFamily=&Genusqtype=starts+with&Genus=&PGenusqtype=starts+with&PGenus=Hiptage&Speciesqtype=starts+with&Species=&PSpeciesqtype=starts+with&PSpecies=benghalensis&Country=&sort=Family nhm.ac.uk Caterpillar Host plant database
  7. 2018-04-10. Larval host plants of the buterfies of the Western Ghats, India. Ravikanthachari Nitin. V.C. Balakrishnan. Paresh V. Churi. S. Kalesh. Satya Prakash. Krushnamegh Kunte. Journal of Threatened Taxa. 10 . 4. 11495–11550. JoTT. 10.11609/jott.3104.10.4.11495-11550. free.

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