CNY visitor

[Bluebottle]

I have a least expected CNY visitor back home. I think her name is Chliaria othona semanga. It is a pleasant surprise as I have never met this beauty before let alone at my father's backyard. And she left behind some souvenirs which I think my father will not be too happy with

I hope to meet again, and this time I will invite her with a photo session with proper equipment

[Commander]

Feeds on daddy's orchid? Maybe that's why it's called Orchid Tit?

[Painted Jezebel]

Your southern subspecies is much brighter and stronger marked in the tornal area than the one I have up here. I take it you were in West Malaysia at the time? It is a good find, as, although widespread, it can never be described as common, and is nearly always found only as singles.

[horace2264]

Feeds on daddy's orchid? Maybe that's why it's called Orchid Tit?

I suppose Orchid Tit used to have the scientific name Hypolycaena othona. Prof Konrad Fiedler has a paper on the life history of Hypolycaena othona where the host plant utilized is Orchid (feed on either flower buds or seed pods).

The paper is "Notes on the biology of Hypolycaena othona in West Malaysia", Nachr. entomol. Ver. Apollo, Frankfurt, N.F. 13 (2): 65-92, Sep. 1992.

[Commander]

Thanks for the info, Horace.

Loke, so what species of orchid did it lay the eggs on? Dendrobium?

[Grass Demon]

The buds look more like those of Vanda.

[Bluebottle]

hmm.. not too good at id orchid. Looks like Phalaenopsis to me. Will try to get a photo later.

The following wiki link shows it feeds on various genus, eg Dendrobium, Papilionanthe.

[Commander]

After you mentioned it, it definitely is not a Dendrobium and the leaves are not of the Vanda, cos it has broad leaves. So it should be as what you suggested, a Phalaenopsis.

Your dad should know what it is, no?

[wengchun]

hhhmmmm...looks like a Phalaenopsis sp. but anyway, great looking butterfly. Need to go out more often.