Tanaecia iapis puseda
Horsfield's Baron
Family: | Nymphalidae |
Subfamily: | Limenitidinae |
Genus | Tanaecia |
Species: | iapis |
Subspecies: | puseda |
Common Name: | Horsfield's Baron |
Life History: | complete |
Extant in countries: | •Thailand •Malaysia •Singapore |
Hostplants: |
Description
The Horsfield's Baron is dimorphic, in that the male has a velvety black upperside with a broad bright blue marginal border on the hindwings. The female is pale greyish ochreous brown and is often confused with Tanaecia pelea (Malay Viscount) or one of the Euthalia species.
Habitat & Habits
The species is relatively common in Singapore - the males more often encountered along sunny footpaths. The butterfly has an interesting habit of gliding back to a favourite perch, often on the edge of a large leaf, and settles just out of reach of the observer.
Sometimes, three or four males are seen together around the same territory, frolicking with each other in the sun. The Horsfield's Baron is very often encountered in the western area of the nature reserves, particularly in the Chestnut Track and Mandai Track of the western fringe of Upper Peirce Reservoir.
Other Observations
To be detailed.
Early Stages
Refer to this ButterflyCircle's blog article - The Life History of the Horsfield's Baron.
Further Reading
To be detailed.