Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Nymphalidae Scientific name Aulocera padma | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Aulocera Rank Species | |
Similar Aulocera swaha, Aulocera saraswati, Callerebia scanda, Callerebia, Lethe rohria | ||
Great Satyr Aulocera padma is a Brown butterfly that ranges across the Himalayas to Assam, north Burma and western China.
Contents
Range
The butterfly is found in the Himalayas from Shingarh, (Zhob, Safed Koh, Kurram, Gilgit, Chitral, India (Kumaon, Bhutan, Sikkim and Chumbi valleys) eastwards across to Abor valley, north Myanmar, west China and southeast Tibet .
Status
As per Evans, it is "Not Rare" from Chitral to Sikkim, "Rare" in the eastern extremity of its range and "Rare" and "Very Rare" westwards. Wynter-Blyth states it "Very abundant" in the Himalayas and Assam.
Description
The Great Satyr is 70 to 98 mm in wingspan. Dark brown above. With a white band across both wings. The upper hindwing is of even width throughout. It has a chequered fringe and a dark apical spot or ocellus on the forewing. The under hindwing is dark.
Habits
The Great Satyr has a powerful graceful, flight and is easily recognised on the wing. It is found in all kinds of terrain above 4000 ft and prefers open areas especially on ridges and hilltops above 7500 ft:
It is fond of settling, especially on roads and stones, and as it is not at all wary is very easy to catch. The male is a very quarrelsome insect and will often take up a position on some rock and chase after any butterfly that comes near.
Reproduction
The Great Satyr has two broods (unlike the others of its genus). The first brood appears from end April to the onset of the rainy season and is very common. The scarce second brood flies after the monsoon.