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Butterfly populations are a very good indicator of the health of an area's ecosystem !!
Vundula dejone are sexually dimorphic, meaning that the male and female look noticably different.
The two sexes of this butterfly have different colors on the wing. The male is a rich orange brown, while the female is pale greenish grey.
There is a short tail on the hindwing of both.
They can be found in primary rainforest at an altitude of about 500 m above sea level, but can also be found along riverbanks and in parks.
There are multiple generations each year which make it possible to find adults all year long, with the largest populations being on wing from February to May.
They fly at moderate speed, and are relatively easy to approach.
When sunbathing, the wings will be outspread, but when the weather is hot, the wings will be held erect.
Male butterflies are often seen flying alone or together looking for moisture or eating rotten fruit.
Females are rarely seen, but are sometimes found visiting Lantana, Ixora and Rhododendron.
Males are often found feeding on urine tainted soil or at damp seepages.
Both sexes are attracted to flowering bushes of the Prickly Lantana (Lantana camara).
They have an estimated lifespan of about 29 days.
* Being members of the Brush Footed (Nymphalidae) family, they use their shorter pair of front legs for food tasting, and their two pair of longer rear legs for propulsion.
Diet: caterpillars feed on the leaves of their host plant, Adenia palmata. They also feed on plants in the genus Adenia which is known to have a very poisonous sap.
Diet: adults feed on a variety of flowering plants but seem to be primarily attracted to plants in the genus Lantana. Males are also known to receive other nutrients through puddling.
Wingspan: 6.35 – 8.13 cm / 2.5 - 3.2 “.
Family: Nymphalidae
The single biggest threat to butterfly survival is habitat destruction!!
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