Symbrenthia hippoclus
Encyclopedia
The Common Jester is a species of nymphalid
butterfly
found in South Asia
and Southeast Asia
. It is forms a superspecies with Symbrenthia hippoclus and there are numerous regional forms and the taxonomy of the group is not well resolved.
Wet-season form, male. Upperside black, with orange-yellow markings as follows:
Fore wing: discoidal streak clavate, bi-indentate above; a contiguous spot at base of interspace 3; a short, outwardly oblique band from middle of dorsum contracted in the middle; another outwardly oblique, somewhat macular, short, broad, preapical band from beyond middle of costa to interspace 4, with two small spots above it in interspaces 5 and 6.
Hind wing: a very broad sub-basal transverse band narrow at the costal margin, a postdiscal narrower similar band contracted into a line towards costal margin, sometimes traversed by a line of black spots and a subterminal very slender line.
Underside, ochraceous orange with numerous spots and lines of ferruginous, that form on fore wing a short, outwardly oblique streak not extending beyond interspaced, and on hind wing a sub-basal transverse streak in continual ion of the above streak on the fore wing; also on both wind's a series of obscure postdiscal cone-shaped marks, irrorated and rendered indistinct on the hind wing by a large patch of pink scales turning to a bluish lunule in interspace 3; fore wing with a ferruginous, hind wing with a pale yellow subterminal line.
Antennae black, ochraceous at apex; head with ferruginous pubescence; thorax and abdomen black on upperside, ochraceous beneath.
Female: Similar, the orange markings broader and somewhat paler on the upperside.
Dry season form differs in both sexes as follows: The orange markings on the upperside broader and paler in the middle, the short bands oil the anterior and posterior portions of the wing coalescing. Underside paler, all the dark markings less clearly defined than in the wet-season form.
Nymphalidae
The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called...
butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
found in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. It is forms a superspecies with Symbrenthia hippoclus and there are numerous regional forms and the taxonomy of the group is not well resolved.
Description
- See glossary of Lepidopteran termsGlossary of Lepidopteran termsThis glossary describes the terms used in the formal descriptions of insect species, jargon used mostly by professionals or entomologist....
for terminology used
Fore wing: discoidal streak clavate, bi-indentate above; a contiguous spot at base of interspace 3; a short, outwardly oblique band from middle of dorsum contracted in the middle; another outwardly oblique, somewhat macular, short, broad, preapical band from beyond middle of costa to interspace 4, with two small spots above it in interspaces 5 and 6.
Hind wing: a very broad sub-basal transverse band narrow at the costal margin, a postdiscal narrower similar band contracted into a line towards costal margin, sometimes traversed by a line of black spots and a subterminal very slender line.
Antennae black, ochraceous at apex; head with ferruginous pubescence; thorax and abdomen black on upperside, ochraceous beneath.
Female: Similar, the orange markings broader and somewhat paler on the upperside.
Dry season form differs in both sexes as follows: The orange markings on the upperside broader and paler in the middle, the short bands oil the anterior and posterior portions of the wing coalescing. Underside paler, all the dark markings less clearly defined than in the wet-season form.