New Larval Food Plant of the Grass Demon Udaspes Folus Cramer and the Restricted Demon Notocrypta Curvifascia Felder & Felder, Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae

1 Pages·2002·0.67 MB·

by  Vinayan P Nair

.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
Reference
Wynter-Blyth, M.A. (1957): Butterflies ofthe Indian Region. BombayNatural History Society, Bombay.
NEW LARVAL FOOD PLANT OF THE GRASS DEMON
34.
UDASPES FOLUS CRAMER AND THE RESTRICTED DEMON
NOTOCRYPTA CURVIFASCIA FELDER & FELDER, LEPIDOPTERA: HESPERIIDAE
While studying the butterfly fauna near the Restricted Demon larva has been recorded
Botanical Garden of the Government College to feed on Kaempferia rotunda Zingiber
,
Campus, Madappally, Vatakara, Kerala, in purpureum (=Z. cassumunar) and Curcuma
October-November 1999 and August-October decipiens (all Zingiberaceae). Wynter-Blyth
2000, 1 recorded a new larval food plant for the (1957) does not mention Alpiniacalcarata Rose.,
larvae ofthe Grass Demon Udaspesfolus Cram, occurrence and successful rearing of Grass
and Restricted Demon Notocrypta curvifascia Demon Udaspes folus Cram., and Restricted
Felder & Felder, Lepidoptera. Demon Notocrypta curvifascia Felder & Felder
Udaspesfolus and Notocrypta curvifascia on Alpinia calcarata confirms it as a new larval
larvae were found to feed on the leaves ofAlpinia food plant for both the species.
calcarata Rose. (Zingiberaceae). The recorded
food plants of Grass Demon are Curcuma Acknowledgements
domestica, C. aromatica, C. amada C. caesia,
,
C. zedoaria, C. decipiens C. angustifolia, thank Dr. A.K. Pradeep, Department of
, I
Zingiber officinale Hedychium coronarium Botany, University ofCalicut for identifying the
, ,
Elettaria cardamomum Aframomum melegueta host plant, and Chandrika Mohan. Scientist,
,
(all Zingiberaceae), Maranta arundinacea CPCRI (RS), Kayamkulam for literature.
(Marantaceae) and Tigridia pavonia (Iridaceae)
Seitz (in Sevastopulo, 1973) noted Fagraea September 25, 2001 VINAYAN. P. NAIR
racemosa (Loganiaceae) and Kershaw (in 3/1V College Quarters,
Abraham et al, 1975) notedAlpinianutans Rose., P.O. Madappally College,
(in Hong Kong) as the food plant of the Grass Vatakara, Kozhikode District,
Demon. According to Mackinnon (in Wynter- Kerala 673 102,
Blyth 1957), it also feeds on grasses. India.
References
Abraham, V.A., G.B. Pillai &C.P.R.Nair(1975): Biology Rhopalocera.J. Bombaynat. Hist. Soc. 70(1): 156-
ofUdaspesfolus Cram, leafrollerofturmeric and 183
ginger. J. Plantn Crops 3: 83-85. Wynter-Blyth, M.A. (1957): Butterflies of the Indian
Sevastopulo, D.G. (1973): The food-plants of Indian Region. BombayNatural History Society, Bombay.
35. BIODIVERSITY OF MANTIDS, INSECTA: MANTODEA,
IN PUNE (WESTERN GHATS) WITH NOTES
ON OTHER REGIONS OF MAHARASHTRA
Accelerating rates ofbiodiversity loss and Agenda 21, have called for the world’s
signing of international agreements, such as the biodiversity to be inventoried and monitored.
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Such inventories provide the basic information
348 JOURNAL BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 99(2), AUG. 2002