Cyrtophora moluccensis (Tent Spider) - Sikkim Spider

Scientific classification

Kingdom:  Animalia

Phylum:     Arthropoda

Class:         Arachnida

Order:       Araneae

Suborder: Araneomorphae

Family:     Araneidae

Genus:      Cyrtophora

Species:    C. moluccensis

Binomial name: Cyrtophora moluccensis (Doleschall, 1857)

Other Names:  Tent Spider or Dome-Web Spider

Special feature:  The abdomen is high and the anterior end overhangs the cephalothorax. It can be distinguished from similar species by the two tubercles on its abdomen, its elaborate pattern, and, in females, the shape of the median septum of the epigyne. In males, the embolus of the pedipalp is enclosed within the conductor. Females and immature spiders are yellow to green in color.

Cyrtophora, the tent-web spiders, although technically orb-web spiders (family Araneidae), do not build orb webs. Their tent-like, highly complex non-sticky web is sometimes considered a precursor of the simplified orb web. These webs are aligned horizontally, with a network of supporting threads above them. These spiders often live in colonies. Females have a body length of mostly about 10 mm. (Source: Wikipedia)

Polyura eudamippus (Great nawab) - Sikkim Butterfly

Scientific classification

Kingdom:             Animalia

Phylum:               Arthropoda

Class:                    Insecta

Order:                  Lepidoptera

Family:                 Nymphalidae

Genus:                  Polyura

Species:                 P. eudamippus

Binomial name:    Polyura eudamippus (Doubleday, 1843)

Other Names:  great nawab

Special feature:   This species can be found in northeastern India (Sikkim, Assam), Bhutan, and Burma, also in China, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Indochina. (Wikipedia)

Polyura athama (Common Nawab) - Sikkim Butterfly

Scientific classification

Kingdom:             Animalia

Phylum:               Arthropoda

Class:                    Insecta

Order:                  Lepidoptera

Family:                 Nymphalidae

Genus:                  Polyura

Species:                 P. athamas

Binomial name:    Polyura athamas (Drury) 1773

Other Names:  common nawab

Special feature:  

Poritia hewitsoni (Common Gem - male) - Sikkim Butterfly

Scientific classification

Kingdom:             Animalia

Phylum:               Arthropoda

Class:                    Insecta

Order:                  Lepidoptera

Family:                 Lycaenidae

Genus:                  Poritia

Species:                 P. hewitsoni

Binomial name:    Poritia hewitsoni (Moore, 1865)

Other Names:  Common Gem

Special feature:  The members (species) of this genus are found in the Indomalaya ecozone extending from Afghanistan through the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia to lowland southern China, and through Indonesia as far as Java, Bali, and Borneo, east of which lies the Wallace line, the ecozone boundary named after Alfred Russel Wallace which separates Indomalaya from Australasia. Indomalaya also includes the Philippines, lowland Taiwan, and Japan's Ryukyu Islands. (Wikipedia)

Orange oak-leaf (Kallima inachus) - Sikkim Butterfly

Scientific Classification

Kingdom:                     Animalia

Phylum:                        Arthropoda

Class:                            Insecta

Order:                           Lepidoptera

Family:                          Nymphalidae

Genus:                           Kallima

Species:                         K. inachus

Binomial name:            Kallima inachus (Doyère, 1840)

Other Names:  Orange oak-leaf or Dead leaf

Special feature:  With wings closed, it closely resembles a dry leaf with dark veins and is a spectacular and commonly cited example of camouflage.

Erebus ephesperis - Sikkim Moth

Scientific Classification

Kingdom:            Animalia

Phylum:               Arthropoda

Class:                    Insecta

Order:                  Lepidoptera

Family:                 Erebidae

Subfamily:           Erebinae

Tribe:                   Erebini

Genus:                  Erebus

Species:                 E. ephesperis

Binomial name:    Erebus ephesperis (Hübner, 1827)

Other Names:

Special feature:  It has a wingspan of about 9 cm.

Fulvous forest skimmer (Neurothemis fulvia) - Sikkim Dragonfly

Erebus macrops (Owl Moth) - Sikkim Moth

Erebus macrops  (Owl Moth)

Place : Shantinagar, Singtam, East Sikkim

Date: January 23, 2015

Pic: Shital Pradhan

Scientific classification

Kingdom:             Animalia

Phylum:               Arthropoda

Class:                    Insecta

Order:                  Lepidoptera

Family:                 Noctuidae

Genus:                  Erebus

Species:                 E. macrops

Binomial name:    Erebus macrops Linnaeus, 1768

Other Names: Owl Moth

Special feature:  It is one of a large moth of  Noctuidae species and its wingspan is 12 cm.

There  are 36 species of moth in the genus.

Euploea mulciber (Striped Blue Crow) - Sikkim Butterfly

Scientific classification

Kingdom:             Animalia

Phylum:               Arthropoda

Class:                    Insecta

Order:                  Lepidoptera

Family:                 Nymphalidae

Genus:                  Euploea

Species:                 E. mulciber

Binomial name:    Euploea mulciber (Cramer, 1777)

Other Names:  Striped Blue Crow

Special feature: