Monday 8 December 2014

Euploea core (Common Crow) - Sikkim Butterfly

Euploea core (Common Crow)

Venue: Chisopani, Singtam  East Sikkim

Date: September 20,  2014

Pic: Shital Pradhan









Scientific classification

Kingdom:                   Animalia
Phylum:                      Arthropoda
Class:                          Insecta
Order:                        Lepidoptera
Superfamily:              Papilionoidea
Family:                       Nymphalidae
Subfamily:                 Danainae
Genus:                        Euploea
Species:                       Euploea core

Binomial name:    Euploea core (Cramer, 1780)

Other Names: Common Indian Crow,

Special feature:  This species has been studied in greater detail than other members of its genus in India.

Mycalesis perseus (Common Bushbrown) - Sikkim Butterfly

Mycalesis perseus (Common Bushbrown)
Venue: Dalapchand, Rongli, East Sikkim
Date: September 24, 2012
Pic: Shital Pradhan



Scientific classification

Kingdom:                   Animalia
Phylum:                      Arthropoda
Class:                          Insecta
Order:                        Lepidoptera
Superfamily:              Papilionoidea
Family:                       Nymphalidae
Subfamily:                 Satyrinae
Genus:                        Mycalesis
Species:                       Mycalesis perseus

Binomial name:    Mycalesis perseus (Fabricius, 1775)

Other Names: Dingy Bushbrown or Common Bushbrown

Special feature:  

Sunday 7 December 2014

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)

Wednesday 3 December 2014

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.