Sunday 30 August 2015

128. Chilasa clytia (The Common Mime)

Number: 128
Family: Papilioniidae
Sub-Family: Papilioniinae
Species:  Chilasa clytia Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): The Common Mime
Photography location: Tam Dao foothills (Vinh Phuc Prov.)

Monastyrskii & Devyatkin (2016) listed 6 Chilasa species in Vietnam viz. agestor, epycides, slateri, clytia, paradoxa and imitata - the last one described in 2003 from central Vietnam. C. clytia is certainly the commonest Chilasa species in Vietnam. It can be encountered in different types of open or semi-open habitats, even agroecosystems, whereas the other Chilasa have more more specific habitat requirements. 

Chilasa clytia caterpillars feeds on Litsea glutinosa, a common tree in secondary growth, and probably feeds on other species of Lauraceae in evergreen forest. This species has many different forms in both sexes, which mimic various species of Euploea and Parantica.

This is a variable species, they generally occur in two main groups of forms, brown and black forms with white markings. Forms present in Vietnam including, at least, f. clytia, f. onpape, f. janus, f. papone, f. panope, f. dissimilis, f. dissimillima, f. vitalisi.

Chilasa clytia feeding on Duranta erecta - an extremely popular nectar source for a wide variety of butterflies. Widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical gardens throughout the world, and has become naturalized in many places

Presumably f. dissimilis - f. dissimillima is very similar but white streaks appear sullied (unsullied in dissimilis)

 The form dissimilis is regarded as mimic of some Danainae species such as Tirumala limniace, Parantica melaneus...

Chilasa clytia on Bidens flower


Chilasa clytia sucking water on rocks along a stream (June 2016)

Side by side with Papilio polytes and Graphium doson

Four species of Papilionidae puddling together : Chilasa clythia, Papilio polytes, Papilio nephelus, Graphium doson

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