Hong Kong Butterflies II

On June 14, 2007, Hong Kong Post has issued the stamp set features butterflies which found in their country. The issue comprises of 5 (five)  postage stamps with various of the face value. The depicted butterflies are Faunis eumeus, Prioneris philonome, Polyura nepenthes, Tajuria maculata, and Acraea issoria.

Description of each depicted species can read more in the blog,  “Butterfly Stamps of The World”,  in article of  “Hong Kong Butterflies II”.

A stamp with value   $ 1.40  presents species Faunis eumeus,

A stamp  with value  $ 1.80  presents species Prioneris philonome.

A stamp with value $ 2.40 presents  species Polyura nepenthes

A stamp with value  $ 3.00 presents  species Tajuria maculata

A stamp with value $ 5.00  presents  species Acraea issoria

Butterflies of Dominica

Banded Orange Heliconian,

Banded Orange Heliconian or Dryadula phaetusa, also known as the Banded Orange Heliconian is a species of butterfly native from Brazil to central Mexico, and in summer it can be found rarely as far north as central Kansas. Its wingspan ranges from 86 to 89 mm, and it is coloured a bright orange with thick black stripes in males, and a duller orange with fuzzier black stripes in females.

It feeds primarily on the nectar of flowers and bird droppings, and its caterpillar feeds on passion vines including Passiflora tetrastylis. It is generally found in lowland tropical fields and valleys. This species is somewhat unpalatable to birds and belongs to the "orange" Batesian mimicry complex.

Gulf Fritillary

The Gulf Fritillary or  Agraulis vanillae, is a striking, bright orange butterfly of the family Nymphalidae, subfamily Heliconiinae. These were formerly classified in a separate family, the Heliconiidae or longwing butterflies, and like other longwings this species does have long, rather narrow wings in comparison with other butterflies. It is not closely related to the true fritillaries. It is a medium to large butterfly, with a wingspan of 6–9.5 cm.Its underwings are buff, with large silvery spots.It takes its name from migrating flights of the butterflies sometimes seen over the Gulf of Mexico.

Other butterfly of Sierra Leone

This mini sheet is other serie of Sierra Leone's butteerflies on stamps. The stamp depicted species Hypolimnas salmachis or known as Blue diadem.

Butterflies of Sierra leonne

The stamp sheet-let from Sierra Leone has depicted Blue Swallowtail on stamp and other species African Giant Swallowtail, Citrus Swallowtail, Mocker Swallowtail on the background of sheet-let.

Blue Swallowtail or known as Papilio zalmoxis or giant blue Ornithoptera, found in many countries of Africa, like Sierra Leone, Nigeria and others.The top of the fore and hind-wings are vivid blue.

African Giant Swallowtail, or known as Papilio Antimachus, is the largest African butterfly with the wing span reach 23 cm. It founds from the rain forest from Sierra Leone to Uganda.

Citrus Swallowtail, or known as Papilio demodocus is a butterfly which lay eggs on the citrus plant. It is found in the tropical regions of Central America, South Africa and Madagascar. This butterfly called as "Christmas butterfly", due to they flies in large number in the Christmas time.

Mocker Swallowtail or known as Papilio dardanus, is a butterfly which have many different forms founds in larger number from Equatorial Africa to South Africa.

Papilio Schmeltzii Swallowtail - Fiji

Schmeltzi's Swallowtail, is Fiji's largest butterfly and is one of some 44 species of butterfly that inhabit Fiji.

The caterpillar or larva molt several times as they grow.It was depicted on (85c) value of stamp.They feed on poisonous plants and are toxic themselves and will actually advertise their presence by being brightly colored. Predator recognize these colors and will not touch them.

The pupa stage is when the most dramatic changes happen and metamorphosis is taking place. It is the most vulnerable stage so mimicry is highly developed. Chrysalis will look like an emerging bud or fruit or like a dead leaf. Butterfly support itself by a silk threat that is spun by the larva before it pupates. It will remain in this form for weeks. It is all shown on ($3) value of stamp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

The newly emerged adult butterfly from its chrysalis is called metamorphosis. This process has been depicted on (58c) value of stamp. It will take 20 minute for the wing to unfold and will take up to 1 hour for the wing to be harden before its attempt to fly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The stamp with $1.41 value, depicted adult butterfly that has function to mate and perpetuate the species. Figure on stamp shown butterfly feeding nectar of a flower.

Butterfly from Laos

This stamp depict one species of butterfly, Danaus Genutia.

The butterfly closely resembles the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) of the Americas.

The wingspan is 75 to 95 mm. Both sexes of the butterfly have tawny wings with veins marked with broad black bands. The female has a pouch on the hindwing. The margins of the wings are black with two rows of white spots.The underside of the wings resembles the upperside but is paler in colouration. The male Common Tiger has a prominent black-and-white spot on the underside of the hindwing.

Distribution and ecology

D. genutia is distributed throughout India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and extending to South East Asia and Australia (except New Guinea). At least in the South Asia part of its range it is fairly common, locally very common.

This butterfly occurs in scrub jungles, fallowland adjacent to habitation, dry and moist deciduous forests, preferring areas of moderate to heavy rainfall. Also occurs in degraded hill slopes and ridges, both, bare or denuded, and, those covered with secondary growth.

While it is a strong flier, it never flies rapidly or high. It has stronger and faster strokes than the Plain Tiger. The butterfly ranges forth in search of its host and nectar plants.