Junonia orithya (Blue Pansy) - Sikkim Butterfly

Scientific Classification

Kingdom:        Animalia
Phylum:          Arthopoda
Class:              Insecta
Order:             Lepidoptera
Family:           Nymphalidae
Genus:            Junonia.

Species:          Junonia orithya (Linnaeus, 1758)

Other Names: Its common English name is the Blue Pansy. In Southern Africa it is known as the Eyed Pansy. In Australia, this butterfly is known as the Blue Argus. 

Fulvous forest skimmer (Neurothemis fulvia) - Sikkim Dragonfly

Tanaecia julii (Common Earl - Female) - Sikkim Butterfly

Tanaecia julii (Common Earl - Female)

Place : Shantinagar, Singtam, East Sikkim

Date: November 7, 2014

Pic: Shital Pradhan

 

Scientific classification

Kingdom:             Animalia

Phylum:               Arthropoda

Class:                    Insecta

Order:                  Lepidoptera

Family:                 Nymphalidae

Genus:                  Tanaecia

Species:                 T. julii

Binomial name:    Tanaecia julii

Other Names:  Common Earl

Special feature:  This butterfly is brown in colour with its peculiar blue-edged lower wings. The male is easily identified by having the blue band of the upper-side hind wing not extending onto the fore wing.

Enicurus scouleri (little forktail) - Sikkim Bird

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Animalia

Phylum:          Chordata

Class:             Aves

Order:            Passeriformes

Family:           Muscicapidae

Genus:            Enicurus

Species:           E. scouleri

Binomial name: Enicurus scouleri Vigors, 1832

Other Names:  little forktail

Special feature:  

Giant wood spider (Nephila pilipes) - Sikkim Spider

Nephila pilipes (Giant wood spider)

Venue: Sirwani, Singtam,  South Sikkim

Date: November 29, 2014

Pic: Shital Pradhan

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Animalia

Phylum:          Arthropoda

Class:             Arachnida

Order:            Araneae

Suborder:       Araneomorphae

Family:           Nephilidae

Genus:            Nephila

Species:           N. pilipes

Binomial name: Nephila pilipes (Fabricius, 1793)

Other Names: Giant Wood Spider, golden orb-weavers  or banana spiders.

Special feature:  Females are large and grow to a body size of 30–50 mm (overall size up to 20 cm), with males growing to 5–6 mm. It is one of the biggest spiders in the world.

The Nephila pilipes' web is vertical with a fine irregular mesh and not symmetrical, with the hub is usually nearer the top. Rather than egg sacks being hung in the web, a pit is dug which is then covered with plant debris or soil.

The first, second and fourth pairs of legs of juvenile females have dense hairy brushes, but as the spider matures these brushes disappear. (Source: Wikipedia)

Cirrochroa aoris (Large Yeoman) - Sikkim Butterfly

Cirrochroa aoris (Large Yeoman)

Venue: Sirwani, Singtam,  South Sikkim

Date: November 29, 2014

Pic: Shital Pradhan

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Animalia

Phylum:          Arthropoda

Class:              Insecta

Order:            Lepidoptera

Family:           Nymphalidae

Genus:            Cirrochroa

Species:           C. aoris

Binomial name: Cirrochroa aoris Doubleday, 1847

Other Names: Large Yeoman

Special feature:  The genus Cirrochroa comprises of 18 species, of which 15 occur in the Oriental region, plus 2 on Papua New Guinea, and one on the island of Biak. Cirrochroa aoris is found in India, Bhutan and Myanmar.