Cirrochroa
Tamil yeoman (C. thais)
Malay yeoman (C. emalea emalea)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Tribe: Vagrantini
Genus: Cirrochroa
Doubleday, 1847
Species

c. 18, see text

Cirrochroa, commonly called yeomen, is a genus of butterflies of the subfamily Heliconiinae in the family Nymphalidae found in southeast Asia. The genus ranges from India to New Guinea.

Description

Fairly large, broad-winged butterflies. The outer edges of the wings are wavy. The ground colour of the upper side is usually brown-orange, but can also be brown or blue. The wingtips are usually darker, and often have one or more thin brown zigzag lines along the outer edge and a series of brown spots on the hindwing. The underside of the wings is usually light brownish at the root, darker in the outer half.Cirrochroa is very nearly allied to Cynthia; but one can immediately recognize them through the delicate antennae, which are only slightly thickened at the end, and which bear no distinctly defined club. Further distinguishing characters are to be found in the strongly swollen palpi, the last joint of which is very finely pointed, the naked eyes and the simple precostal vein, which branches from behind the base of the subcostal, and which is slightly bent outwards. The neuration of Cirrochroa does not differ essentially from that of Cynthia and on this account is sharply divided from Cupha, the only other Argynnis-Genus, which possesses clubless antennae.[1]

Biology

These butterflies prefer to live in forest edges up to 1000 meters above sea level. At least one of the species has larvae that live on the plant genus Hydnocarpus ( Achariaceae ). The butterflies are fast fliers, and relatively shy. They like to come down to the ground to soak up moisture.

Species

In alphabetical order:[2]

References

  1. ↑ Seitz, A. 1912–1927. Die Indo-Australien Tagfalter. The Macrolepidoptera of the World 9: 1–766;pdf 767–1201,pdf pls 1–175.pdfPublic Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ↑ "Cirrochroa Doubleday, [1847]" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
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