Insects of Kerala

MOTH

2016-07-30T04:24:00.003-07:00

MY OBSERVATIONS

03-01-2011 - sEEN 5 nOS.

16-01-2011- sEEN 8 NOS.

COMMON MIME (Papilo clytia)

2016-07-20T08:22:00.002-07:00

MY OBSERVATIONS

Location : Palode, Thiruvananthapuram

07-01-2011

collected a Caterpillar from Persea macrantha plant

12-01-2011

Become pupa

27-01-2011

Emerged with deformity

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Papilionidae

Genus: Papilio

Subgenus: Chilasa

Species: Papilio clytia

വഴനശലഭം in Malayalam

Host Plant

Persea macrantha

Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Magnoliids
Order: Laurales
Family: Lauraceae
Genus: Persea
Species: P. macrantha
ഊറാവ്‌ അഥവാ കുളമാവ് in Malayalam

PRAYING MANTIS EGG

2016-07-20T07:06:00.000-07:00

MY OBSERVATIONS

09-11-2010

A long leathery egg case was found in Aracaria cunnighamia plant. In the same plant three praying mantis were also seen. The egg may be of praying mantis

24-01-2011
Near the egg case a praying mantis was seen regularly

04-03-2011

Not yet emerged. So examined microscopically and found it is already emerged egg case.

In this long egg case two cavities were there inclined upward and a single door- like lid for these two openings. Young one emerging out by pushing the lid upward. The lid is constructed in such a way that no water can enter inside the case

2016-03-26T04:50:00.000-07:00

Beetle

WASP -6

2011-09-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

Location – Palode, Thiruvananthapuram

MY OBSERVATIONS

08-9-11 – Collected some eggs in a leaf

Eggs are only 2 mm in diameter

Enlarged view

14-9-11 – Emerged. There is a lid in the egg. The young one pushed opened it and

come out

Very tiny fly. Having 3mm in length.

When enlarged it looks like a wasp

Giant Red Eye Butterfly (Gangara thyrsis thyrsis)

2011-09-08T23:51:00.000-07:00

Location : Thuckalai, Tamilnadu

23-01-2011 – Caterpillar from coconut tree leaf. Grayish white in colour covered with white powdery hairs. Edges of the leaf is pasted together and stay inside it. For a little disturbance the pupa shivering with sounds (the sound is due to the hitting of the pupa against the leaf)

The leaf is folded in such a way that if rain comes no water can enter inside the cover

Host Plant : Coconut tree (Cocos nucifera)

24-01-2011 – The leaf roll opened.

27-01-2011 – Emerged out

It is “Giant Red Eye” (Gangara thyrsis thyrsis)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Hesperiidae

Genus: Gangara

Species: G. thyrsis

Also check the blog White Caterpillar from Kollam

MOTH-3

2011-09-08T22:59:00.000-07:00

Location : Palode, Thiruvananthapuram

MY OBSERVATIONS

13-1-2011 – collected a caterpillar. There are number of different aged caterpillars in the plant.

Host Plant : Breynia patens (Roxb.) Rolfe

Common Name: Cup & Saucer, Peruniuri (Malayalam), The plant grows as a shrub with spreading branches

17-1-2011 - Colour and shape of the caterpillar changed. Edges of the leaf is pasted together. So I think is going to pupate.

18-1-2011 – Become a complete pupa

28-1-2011 – Emerged out

IT TAKES 10 DAYS TO BECOME ADULT FROM PUPA

Moth-2

2011-08-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

Location : Palode, Thiruvananthapuram

MY OBSERVATIONS

10-01-2011 – Collected two cocoon

17-01-2011 – One emerged in the night.

Inside the cocoon cover there is one hard brown pupa cover also.

04-03-2011- The second cocoon is not yet emerged. So dissected.

Inside the cocoon a baby wasp was found dead. So the cocoon is parasited.

Antlion

2011-08-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

Location : Palode, Thiruvananthapuram

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Subclass: Myrientomata

Section: Pterygota

Division: Neoptilota

Subdivision: Endopterygota

Superorder: Neuropteroidea

Order: Neuroptera

Suborder: Myrmeleontiformia

Superfamily: Myrmeleontoidea

Family: Myrmeleontidae

The larva always moves backwards.

The larva makes a conical shaped pit in the loose sand and waiting for a prey, usually ants and small insects, which passing through the sides of the pit and slipped into the pit.

The angle of the pit is adjusted so that no prey can escape from it. Simultaneously the antlion flicks sand to the victim and grabs it when it falls near.

The two powerful jaws of the larva is capable of grabbing the prey and injecting a liquid venom which liquefies the body parts of the victim inside its exoskeleton.

Larval stage takes about 2-3 years to become pupa. Pupation period is about 20 days.

Adult emerging in the evening and comes to the surface and climbs to the nearby plant and takes nearly half an hour for stretching its wings fully.

Adult antlion fly is having a clubbed antennae. They do not eat ant or insects. Usually they may not eat anything. Its aim is to mate and reproduction. Its life span is only about 20 to 45 days.

Treehopper

2011-06-15T08:06:00.000-07:00

Location : Palode, Thiruvananthapuram

MATING FLIES

2011-06-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

Location : Malayinkil, Thiruvananthapuram

8-6-11- Seen mating in grass at 12 noon

PRAYING MANTIS-3

2011-06-08T07:29:00.000-07:00

Location: Palode, Thiruvananthapuram

MY OBSERVATIONS

19-5-2011 – Seen a praying mantis guarding its egg (oothaca) in a mangostein tree leaf. There is one more egg is there in another leaf.

7-6-2011 – Egg hatched

Large in numbers

Spread all over the tree

CICADA

2011-06-05T07:18:00.000-07:00

The name cicada is derived from Latin which means “Tree Cricket”

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Hemiptera

Family: Cicadidae

There are about 2,500 species of cicada around the world

Cicada do not bite or sting

Male cicadas are loud noisemakers . They making this noice by vibrating the membranes called "tymbals" on the sides of the abdominal base.Each species has its own distinctive sound.

The newly hatched nymphs drop to the ground and they dig the ground and burrow. Most cicadas go through a life cycle that lasts from two to five years.

After these periods it come outs to surface after a heavy rain and climbs in a tree branch and moulting and become an adult cicada

Cicada is very sensitive to sound and having effective eye sight in my experience

The Moulted exoskelton of cicada

PARASITED CATERPILLAR

2011-06-01T10:56:00.000-07:00

Location : Palode, Thiruvananthapuram

MY OBSERVATIONS

17-05-2011 – Caterpillar in the flower of Acampe orchid

It can hung in its own web

23-05-2011 – Become pupa by making a web covering

01-06-2011 – Emerged a fly from the pupa

The caterpillar may be the parasited

2011-06-01T08:05:00.001-07:00

PARASITED PUPA-2

2011-05-21T23:13:00.000-07:00

Location : Malayinkil, Thiruvananthapuram

MY OBSERVATIONS

23-03-2011 – Collected a caterpillar from an Ixora plant

It is bulky and hairy

28-03-2011 – Caterpillar died. But another pupa was seen in the bottle.

18-04-2011 – The pupa emerged and it was a fly

THE CATERPILLAR WAS PARASITED BY THE FLY

COMMON BARON BUTTERFLY

2011-05-21T22:48:00.000-07:00

Location : Thucklai, Tamilnadu

MY OBSERVATIONS

14-03-2011 – Got one pupa from Thucklai

Caterpillar moulted before pupating. The outer cover is also seen with the pupa

Outer cover of the caterpillar after moulting

22-03-2011 – Emerged in the morning

IT IS COMMON BARON BUTTERFLY

Euthalia aconthea

“Maanthalir Salabham” in Malayalam

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Nymphalidae

Genus: Euthalia

Species: E. aconthea

Pupa case after emerging

COURTESY : Dr. S. Mukunthakumar, TBGRI

BLUE TIGER MOTH-2

2011-05-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

Location : Thachottukavu, Near Malayinkil, Thiruvananthapuram

MY OBSERVATIONS

20-02-2011 – Collected a Caterpillar

24-02-2011 – Become Pupa

08-03-2011 – Emerged in the morning at 8 AM

IT IS A BLUE TIGER MOTH

Dysphania percota (Swinhoe, 1891)

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Dysphania

HOST PLANT: Carallia brachiata ( “Vallabham” in Malayalam)

COMMON INDIAN CROW BUTTERFLY- Euploea core-2

2011-05-21T07:20:00.000-07:00

Location : Malayinkil. Thiruvananthapuram

MY OBSERVATIONS

13-02-2011 – Collected a caterpillar from White Nerium plant

HOST PLANT : Nerium oleander

Kingdom: Plantae

Order: Gentianales

Family: Apocynaceae

Subfamily: Apocynoideae

Tribe: Wrightieae

Genus: Nerium

Species: N. oleander

17-02-2011 – Caterpillar become large, nearly double in size within 4 days

18-02-2011 – 8 PM Changing to pupa

19-02-2011 – 3 AM Become pupa. Completely light yellow in colour

20-02-2011 – Yellow colour of the pupa changed to glittering silver

28-02-2011 – Emerged in the morning

IT IS COMMON INDIAN CROW BUTTERFLY

Euploea core vermiculata
"Arali Salabham" (in Malayalam)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Nymphalidae

Genus: Euploea

Species: E. core
Pupa case after emerging

IT TAKES NINE DAYS TO BECOME ADULT FROM PUPA

PARASITED PUPA

2011-05-20T21:10:00.000-07:00

Location : Palode, Thiruvananthapuram

MY OBSERVATIONS

31-01-2011 – Collected a pupa

09-02-2011 – Emerged

It was a fly. So the caterpillar or pupa was parasitized by the fly

COMMON JEZEBEL BUTTERFLY

2011-05-20T20:44:00.000-07:00

Location : Thucklai, Tamilnadu

MY OBSERVATIONS

24-01-2011 – Collected three pupae

27-01-2011 – Emerged out in the morning

It is Common Jezebel Butterfly

Delius eucharis ( Drury).

“Vilasini Salabham”(in Malayalam)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Pieridae

Genus: Delias

Species: D. eucharis

14-02-2011 – The other two pupae were not emerged. So dissected and found empty. Both were eaten by small ants. There was small holes in the pupa case

COURTESY : Dr.S.Mukunthakumar, TBGRI

MOTH-1

2011-05-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

Location : Palode, Thiruvananthapuram

MY OBSERVATIONS

07-12-2010 – Sunny day, 1.40 PM

Seen in the ground grass in large numbers

Short distance flight

1 CM in length

Un emerged one

2011-05-19T23:39:00.000-07:00

Location : Palode, Thiruvananthapuram

MY OBSERVATIONS

HOST PLANT : Pancratium triflorum ( "Kaattulli" in Malayalam)

Kingdom: Plantae

clade: Angiosperms

clade: Monocots

Order: Asparagales

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae

Genus: Pancratium

08-10-2011- Cater pillar from Pancratium triflorum plant

11-11-2010- Eating of leaf continued till noon

Usually consuming 3 leaves per day

Afternoon it hanged from the twig. I thought it is going to pupate.

15-11-2010- Body colour changed. Become some more black

23-11-2010- Body become thin and dry

29-11-2010- Something emerged from its body. May be some parasite.
A hole was there in the body

Dark Evening Brown (Melanitis phedima)

2011-05-05T08:31:00.000-07:00

Location : Palode, Thiruvananthapuram - 05-05-2011

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum:          Arthropoda
Class:            Insecta
Order:            Lepidoptera
Family:           Nymphalidae
Subfamily:     Satyrinae
Genus:           Melanitis
Species:       M. phedima

GRASSHOPPER MATING

2011-05-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

Location : Palode, Thiruvananthapuram

MY OBSERVATIONS

03-05-2011- Mating of grasshopper takes hours

Male is smaller than female.

They are general herbivores feeding on a variety of plants.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Subphylum: Hexapoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Orthoptera

Suborder: Caelifera