Symphaedra

Baronet
upper side
underside
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Symphaedra Hübner, 1819[2]
Species:	S. nais
Binomial name
Symphaedra nais Forster, 1771[1]
Synonyms
Symphaedra alcandra

Symphaedra nais, also known as the baronet,[3] is a species of Nymphalid butterfly found in South Asia.[1][3] It was formerly included in the genus Euthalia but it is a sister to members of the genus Bassarona.[4]

Description

In Narsapur, Medak district, India

The male and the female both have tawny-yellow uppersides. The forewing has a traverse black line below apex cell and an oval spot beyond encircling a small yellow spot, a broad short oblique discal bar and an angulated postdiscal lunular band the costa narrowly and the termen shaded with black. Hindwing: a comparatively large triangular patch below the middle of the costa, a postdiscal evenly curved series of spots and a broad band along the termen black. Underside dark ochraceous red. Forewing: the base shaded with fuscous black, two spots at base of cell and a transverse line beyond crimson pink, edged with black: a very broad oblique discal band, angulated downwards below vein 4, bordered posteriorly by a large black spot on the inner side and outwardly and anteriorly by an oblique broad black band, followed by four anterior obliquely placed ochraceous-white spots, and beyond by a very narrow lunular black band bent downwards below vein 6. Hindwing: a crimson short line at extreme base, two crimson black-bordered spots in cell: a comparatively broad transverse discal white band often broken up into a large spot below middle of costa, with two or three spots in line below it; finally, a postdiscal series of small black spots. Antennae are black, bright ochraceous at apex; head, thorax and abdomen tawny red above, brown shaded with crimson-pink below.[5][6]

Under side; Bhenskatri, Dang, Gujarat, India

Upperside; Bhenskatri, Dang, Gujarat

Distribution

It is widely found in India and Sri Lanka. In India its distribution ranges from lower Himalayas to southern India[5]

Life cycle

Larva

The larva is light green with the purple spots on the dorsal. The sides of the larva contain row of ten horizontal spines covered with fine green hair.[5]

Pupa

The pupa is short broad and triangular. It is green and has gold spots and lines.[5]

Larval host plants

The larvae are known to breed on Shorea robusta and Diospyros melanoxylon.[7]

• 
  Mating pair
• 
  Egg
• 
  Caterpillar

References

1. "Euthalia Hübner, [1819]" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
2. International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (1945). "Opinion 167 Suspension of the rules for Euthalia H?bner, [1819] (class Insecta, order Lepidoptera)". Opinions and declarations rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. 2 (37): 399–410.
3. R.K., Varshney; Smetacek, Peter (2015). A Synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India. New Delhi: Butterfly Research Centre, Bhimtal & Indinov Publishing, New Delhi. p. 205. doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.3966.2164. ISBN 978-81-929826-4-9.
4. Toussaint, Emmanuel F A; Müller, Chris J; Morinière, Jérôme; Tänzler, Rene; Balke, Michael (2020-03-28). "A glide over the Indo-Australian geological maze: repeated transgressions of Lydekker's and Wallace's Lines in archdukes, barons and dukes (Nymphalidae: Limenitidinae: Adoliadini)". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 129 (4): 810–821. doi:10.1093/biolinnean/blaa008. ISSN 0024-4066.
5. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Bingham, Charles Thomas (1905). Fauna of British India. Butterflies Vol. 1. p. 287.
6. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Moore, Frederic (1896–1899). Lepidoptera Indica. Vol. III. London: Lovell Reeve and Co. pp. 56–59.
7. kehimkar, isaac (2008). The book of indian butterflies. BNHS. p. 384.