Melanitis

Abstract: A general survey was carried out on the Satyrine fauna of the Kerala Western Ghats recording 27 species compared to 29 species recorded from the Western Ghats. External genitalial morphology of fourteen species under 6 genera was studied. Based on an evaluation of resemblances of the genital parts, particularly of the valvae, uncus and phallus of the male external genitalia, these species were categorised under two separate groups. The first group contained Melanitis leda, Melanitis (phedima) varaha, Mycalesis anaxias, Mycalesis oculus, Lethe (drypetis) todara, Lethe (rohria) neelgheriensis and Zipaetis saitis. Of these, Mycalesis anaxias, Mycalesis oculus and Lethe (rohria) neelgheriensis formed a subgroup distinct from the others. The second group contained Mycalesis (perseus) tabitha and M. igilia. These species shared resemblance with Lethe rohria, Mycalesis oculus, Mycalesis (perseus) tabitha, Mycalesis subdita, Mycalesis igilia and Mycalesis adolphei. Each of the remaining species viz., Mycalesis (Patnia) junonia, Mycalesis subdita and Ypthima (baldus) madrasa showed distinctness in their identity. Among these, Y. (baldus) madrasa stood out separately from all the rest. The study shows the heterogeneity of taxa included under the various satyrine genera suggesting the need for a detailed taxonomic revision of the group. Information generated in this study has also shown very good survival of most of the satyrine species in the Kerala part of the Western Ghats mainly due to protection of the natural habitats.

Abstract: During a nine-month stay in northern Papua New Guinea during most of 1989, the author made numerous observations on the butterfly fauna of the Passam and Wewak areas, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea. A general account of some of the most interesting and distinctive Lepidoptera of this region is provided here. Butterflies mentioned and discussed in this paper are as follows: Graphium agamemnon ligiatus Rothschild, Graphium eurypylus lycaonides Rothschild, Ornithoptera priamus poseidon (Doubleday), Papilio aegeus ormenus Guerin-Meneville, Papilio ambrax ambrax Boisduval, Papilio euchenor euchenor Guerin- Meneville, Papilio laglaizei Depuiset and Papilio ulysses autolycus Felder (Papilionidae), Doleschallia dasyclus eudascyclus Frustorfer, Hypolimnas bolina nerina (Fabricius), Melanitis amabilis valentina Frustorfer, Mycalesis mahadeva fulviana Grose-Smith, Tellervo zoilus hiempsal Frustorfer and Tirumala hamata hamata (Macleay)(Nymphalidae) and Eurema candida papuana (Butler)(Pieridae).

Abstract: The geographic distribution, relative abundance and habitat associations of tropical satyrine butterflies were studied in north-eastern Australia in 1990-92. Three species, Mycalesis evara, Ypthima pusilla and Geitoneura klugii, are excluded from the region so that only 16 species are now recognised north of the Tropic of Capricorn. of these, Melanitis amabilis has not been recorded from Australia since 1910; M. constantia is restricted to Murray Island, Torres Strait; Orsotriaena medus, may now only occur in the Torres Strait islands; while Heteronympha merope appears to be a rare southern vagrant. the remaining 12 species occurred predominantly in the moist coastal lowland area, and few penetrated the drier inland zone. Most intruded into montane areas, but, with the exceptions of Melanitis leda, Hypocysta metirius and Tisiphone helena, were comparatively scarce in this zone. the tropical satyrine fauna, which comprises northern, southern and endemic elements, is relatively species poor compared with that of temperate south-eastern Australia.