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Species of butterfly
Tirumala hamata
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Nymphalidae
Genus:
Tirumala
Species:
T. hamata
Binomial name
Tirumala hamata
Synonyms
Euploea hamata MacLeay, [1826]
Danais australis Blanchard, 1853
Papilio melissa Stoll, [1781]
Danais moderata Butler, [1876]
Danais hamata var. orientalis Semper, [1879]
Tirumala angustata Moore, 1883
Danaida nephthys Fruhstorfer, 1911
Danaida pelagia Fruhstorfer, 1911
Danaida sassina Fruhstorfer, 1911
Danaida tibula Fruhstorfer, 1911
Danaida melissa melissa f. melissina Rothschild, 1915
Danaida tutuilae Hopkins, 1927
Tirumala neomelissa Bryk, 1937
Danaus mendica Talbot, 1943
Danaida hamata paryadres Fruhstorfer, 1910
Danaida singaria Fruhstorfer, 1910
Danaida hamata arikata Fruhstorfer, 1910
Danais (Tirumala ) melissa nigra Martin, 1910
Danais (Tirumala ) hamata goana Martin, 1910
Danais leucoptera Butler, 1874
Danaus hamata talautensis Talbot, 1943
Danaus hamata pallidula Talbot, 1943
Danaus hamata subnubila Talbot, 1943
Danaida (Tirumala ) melissa coarctata Joicey & Talbot, 1922
Danais obscurata Butler, 1874
Danaida gariata Fruhstorfer, 1910
Danaus hamata insignis Talbot, 1943
Danais neptunia C. & R. Felder, [1865]
Danais claribella Butler, 1882
Danaida hamata neptunia f. protoneptunia Poulton, 1924
Danais melittula Herrich-Schäffer, 1869
Tirumala hamata , the dark tiger , is a
butterfly of the family
Nymphalidae . It is distributed from the
Philippines to
Australia and Pacific oceanic islands such as
Samoa . In Australia, the butterflies perform
mass migrations to the south in some years. In April 1995, the butterfly made a rare migratory journey to
New Zealand , coinciding with the appearance of
Hypolimnas bolina on the islands.
[2]
The
wingspan is about 70 mm. Adults have black wings with blue spots. They are grey with black bands between segments and orange lateral lines and a black head with white markings. Adults have been observed scratching the leaves of
Heliotropium amplexicaule and
Parsonsia straminea , possibly to suck out moisture,
[3] or to obtain pyrrolizidine alkaloids for pheromone production and/or chemical defense.
[4]
The larvae feed on a wide range of plants including
Parsonsia (including
Parsonsia straminea and
Parsonsia velutina ),
Heterostemma papuana ,
Heterostemma acuminatum ,
Hoya australis ,
Leichhardtia ,
Marsdenia (including
Marsdenia velutina ),
Secanome carnosum ,
Secamone elliptica ,
Vincetoxicum (syn. Tylophora ),
Cryptostegia grandiflora ,
Cynanchum carnosum , and
Cynanchum leptolepis .
T. h. hamata (MacLeay, [1826]) (Australia: Cape York to Sydney)
T. h. angustata Moore, 1883 (Tonga)
T. h. arikata (Fruhstorfer, 1910) (Sula Islands)
T. h. coarctata (Joicey & Talbot, 1922) (Biak)
T. h. goana (Martin, 1910) (southern Sulawesi)
T. h. insignis (Talbot, 1943) (eastern Solomon Is.)
T. h. leucoptera (Butler, 1874) (Waigeu, Gebe, Neomfoor, West Irian)
T. h. melittula (Herrich-Schäffer, 1869) (Samoa)
T. h. moderata Butler, 1875 (Vanuatu, New Caledonia)
T. h. neomelissa Bryk, 1937 (Java)
T. h. nepthys Fruhstorfer, 1911 (Sulu Is.)
T. h. neptunia (C. & R. Felder, [1865]) (Fiji)
T. h. nigra (Martin, 1910) (Buru, Ambon, Serang, Saparua)
T. h. obscurata (Butler, 1874) (New Britain, New Ireland, Duke of York Group, Bougainville to Guadalcanal)
T. h. orientalis Semper, 1879 (Luzon, Cebu)
T. h. pallidula (Talbot, 1943) (West Irian)
T. h. paryadres (Fruhstorfer, 1910) (Timor to Tanimbar, Aru and the Kai Islands)
T. h. subnubila (Talbot, 1943) (Papua, Yule Island)
T. h. talautensis (Talbot, 1943) (Talaud)