Penang Butterfly Farm

[EarlyStages]

Hi Soon Chye,

Your photo 27 almost certainly shows caterpillars of the Great Duffer, Discophora timora, not Common Duffer. In comparison, young larvae of the Common Duffer are banded black and white (http://nc.kl.edu.tw/bbs/showpost.php...0&postcount=38), while mature cats are patterned somewhat differently and have a dark head capsule (http://nc.kl.edu.tw/bbs/showpost.php...6&postcount=21).

Keith

[Sky Blue]

Thanks all for yr kind comments

Khew & Aaron, thanks for the ID.

CM, still my old Fujis2

Keith, thanks for the ID correction of the Great Duffer caterpillar, and I've more confidence to ID #18 as Great Duffer as well.

Les, I don't enough have time to visit the park, I know it's just next door but running out of time + raining day, got to wait till next round

[Painted Jezebel]

Hi Soon Chye,

Your photo 27 almost certainly shows caterpillars of the Great Duffer, Discophora timora, not Common Duffer.
Keith

I can say that when I saw those cats during my visit, I asked, and was told that they were D. timora.

[Sky Blue]

Thanks for the info, Les.

[Sky Blue]

Btw, I found this on the same plant as D. timora. I wonder whether it's a Common / Dark Evening Brown

[EarlyStages]

Soon Chye,

Yes, your above caterpillar is either Melanitis phedima or M. leda – in my experience (I've reared both), it's nearly impossible to reliably tell the larvae apart by appearance alone. Nonetheless, a very knowledgeable Taiwanese lepidopterist told me several years ago during dinner that phedima cats have (typically) blackish head horns, while those of leda are (often) more reddish in color. However, despite repeated checking, I've been unable to independently substantiate his assertion.

Keith