''Dysphania percota'', the blue tiger moth, is a
moth
Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...
of the family
Geometridae
The geometer moths are moths belonging to the family Geometridae of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies. Their scientific name derives from the Ancient Greek ''geo'' γεω (derivative form of or "the earth"), and ''met ...
that can be found in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. It was first described by
Charles Swinhoe
Colonel Charles Swinhoe (27 August 1838, in CalcuttaAlthough many published sources give 1836, the India Office Records note it as 1838 (), the other year being that of his brother Robert. – 2 December 1923) was an English naturalist and lepido ...
in 1891.
Description
It is similar to ''
Dysphania palmyra
''Dysphania palmyra'', the long blue tiger moth or blue day moth, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Caspar Stoll in 1790. It is found in India and Sri Lanka.
The caterpillar is known to feed on '' Carallia ...
'', but differs in the whole apical area of the forewings being deep purple from the discocellular spot and postmedial line to outer margin, with two small blue spots below the sub-costals and one on inner margin near outer angle. Hindwings never with any trace of yellow.
The
larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
The ...
e feed on ''
Carallia'' species.
Gallery
File:Dysphania percota late instar.JPG, Late instar
An instar (, from the Latin '' īnstar'', "form", "likeness") is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each moult (''ecdysis''), until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or ass ...
from Tuvvur
Tuvvur is a village in Malappuram district in the state of Kerala, India. This village has mosques, temples, churches and people of different religions are living in this village.
Demographics
India census, Tuvvur had a population of 26795 w ...
, Malappuram, India
File:Dysphania percota pupa.JPG, Caterpillar from Tuvvur
File:Dysphania percota adult.JPG, Adult from Tuvvur
File:Blue Tiger Moth1.jpg, From Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
See also
*''
Dysphania militaris
''Dysphania militaris'' is a species of moth of the family Geometridae that is found from in the tropical regions of South and Southeast Asian countries such as China, India, Myanmar, Andaman Islands, Sumatra and Java. It was first described by Ca ...
''
*''
Dysphania sagana
''Dysphania sagana'' is moth species in the family Geometridae first described by Druce in 1882. It is yellow and black and is found in southern Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo.
Description
The basal half o ...
''
*''
Dysphania palmyra
''Dysphania palmyra'', the long blue tiger moth or blue day moth, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Caspar Stoll in 1790. It is found in India and Sri Lanka.
The caterpillar is known to feed on '' Carallia ...
''
References
Geometrinae
Moths described in 1891
{{Geometrinae-stub