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Post by basilbrush on Oct 24, 2011 11:49:39 GMT -8
Hi
I have just aquired a case with a male and female brooke birdwing, and just wondered if anyone could tell me a bit more about them?
Thanks
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Post by lepidofrance on Oct 24, 2011 12:59:36 GMT -8
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Post by wingedwishes on Oct 24, 2011 13:14:06 GMT -8
Sometimes called the White Rajah since it was named after Mr. (James?) Brooks of Sarawak. Since he was the first white governor (Rajah) it has been called teh White Rajah even though the butterfly is not white. It is, I think, the state butterfly of India and cannot legally be collected there.
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Post by Adam Cotton on Oct 24, 2011 13:23:06 GMT -8
It is, I think, the state butterfly of India and cannot legally be collected there. Trogonoptera brookiana does not get as far west as India, maybe it is the 'state butterfly' of Malaysia or one of its constituent states. It is a Sundaland species, occurring in far S. Thailand (very rarely), Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo and some of the smaller islands in the region. Interestingly it does not occur on Java, and on Palawan it is replaced by the only other species of the genus, T. trojana. Adam. |
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Post by lepidofrance on Oct 24, 2011 14:15:17 GMT -8
About the Wallace's sojurn in Sarawak and his relation with Brook (the "White Rajah"), read the very interesting book from Nigel Barley : White Rajah: A Biography of Sir James Brooke, Little, Brown, 2003. More infos : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigel_BarleyBy the way, Nigel Barley has also published a Sir Raffles biography : The Duke of Puddle Dock: Travels in the Footsteps of Stamford Raffles, Henry Holt, 1992. Very interesting even on the entomological point of view. And of course, read the Wallace's Malay Archipelago ! A fantastic book ! |
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Post by wingedwishes on Oct 24, 2011 18:14:39 GMT -8
Hmmm. I wonder where I got the idea that it was the state butterfly of India. I don't know. I understand that it has been extirpated in Thailand. Is this true? I would like to read the Biograpy about James Brooke. I'll keep my eyes open. Thanks
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Post by krupten on Oct 24, 2011 21:34:43 GMT -8
Re: brookiana - Well the vast majority of the specimens on the market are albescens - and are collected here in Malaysia from around Batu 11 - to Batu 25 along the Tapah to Tanah Rata road. The highest numbers fly from about 450 - 650 meters albeit specimens are occasionally encountered at Tanah Rata at 1365 meters. The host is of course Aristolochiaceae - and in this case Pararistolochia foveolata. Ova are a greyish purple in color about 2.5 mm in diameter and laid on the underside of "GENERALLY" a mature leaf but in close proximity to the new growth on the vine. First instar larvae are grey with white turbicles and a white thoracic patch. Duration from Larva to pupae is from 35 - to 42 days and pupae are an apple green and can be separated easily by a blue "blaze" that occurs on the wing case near where the wingscases join the Thorax and abdominal segments. Pupal duration is about 4 - 5 weeks albeit some aestivation is known to occur where pupae will not eclose for up to 12 weeks or more.
Males are reknown for the puddling activity and are often photographed for this reason alone. They can be like most males that puddle of the Papilionidae - approached and can almost be touched whilst they are in the process of mineral uptake.
Females are as common as males in the right situation - but are never seen puddling. They prefer river access that is used as a corridor to access food which generally the inflorescense of trees with the predominate color of orange red being preferred or to access the hills where the hostplant is an aboreal climber. Males and females are seen at the same time and often at the same trees.
There are two races of brookiana in malaysia - albescens and mollumar with the latter being a lowland race found in Johor. they are distinct and though males are almost impossible - like all the males of brookiana - to tell apart the females are DISTINCTIVE!!
T.b.albescens flies up to and including Southern Thailand on two mountain tops and can be seen regularily IF YOU KNOW WHERE TO GO. The species was known to occur and was taken in Southern Myanmar - in an area in and around Mt Moulmien but this area has since been logged out and the occurance of the species there is in doubt and should be verified.
The occurance of trojana in Palawan is interesting and the larvae are similar to albecsens as is the pupae (albeit more yellowish) but the blue blaze remains and this factor alone is indicative of the GENUS. ALL brookiana in the pupae have this blaze present. The hostplant however IS in doubt and though it has been referred to - it appears to be a natural hybrid that has now become the predominate host for trojana. This plant was examined by Ding Hou of Leiden and his opinion is that is a natural hybrid of foveolata and tagala. The leaves are intermediate - but the fruit is basket type - hexasegmental as in the Aristolochia whereas fovelata is a bean like seed case. The former hybrid the pods hang as in tagala - from where the petiole attaches to the stem but foveolata the pod is cauliciformic - i.e. from the stem.
IF you wish any further information or details of the species do not hesitate to contact me. Greg
P.S. Matsuka is a great book - as is Igarashi - that both illustrate the life history of the species. D'Abrera does have photorepresentation of the species and was co author on the paper decribing mollumar (the etymology being a acronym of the three wives names). Other references are available but deal with the numerous ssp that were named by the Japanese concerning populations that inhabit the sattelite islands off the west coast of Sumatra. Haugum and Lowe is another excellent source of information if you wish to pursue this in depth and there are line drawings of f.wongensis (pictured in Tsukada and Nishiyama as well as Ohya) and f. walshae.
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Post by krupten on Oct 24, 2011 21:41:49 GMT -8
OH and the butterfly is the "state butterfly" for Sabah - where the nominate was taken.
Because it is named RAJAH BROOKES birdwing and regardless of the genus it is PROTECTED in MALAYSIA because it has the word RAJAH in it. The same applies to the "TAWNY RAJAH" or Charaxes bernardus - which - because of the NAME is PROTECTED. THEY both require permits to collect and to export. STRANGE BUT TRUE! Ripleys' believe it or not of the Lep world!!
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Post by wingedwishes on Oct 25, 2011 2:47:58 GMT -8
Lot's of good info Krupten. I learned from you today! Thanks.
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Post by dertodesking on Oct 25, 2011 12:05:26 GMT -8
Greg, Great posts - very, VERY informative (and interesting). Thank you for sharing your knowledge  Simon |
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Post by lepidofrance on Oct 25, 2011 13:11:38 GMT -8
 If T. brookiana is protected in Malaysia because its Rajah name, do you mean that the same butterfly is not protected in Southern Thailand ? Until now, I was thinking that the species was protected by the CITES. As far I remember, I saw in the Hong Kong Intern. Airport a poster against illegal animal trade showing a T. brookiana picture. And I presume that in Hong Kong they don't care about small rajah or maharajahs ?
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Post by krupten on Oct 25, 2011 19:42:43 GMT -8
Dear - lepidofrance - it is protected in Thailand under CITES but not under LOCAL government laws - as far as I know - but I hope Adam can spud in some more local jurisprudence in this matter?. Thailand did for the longest time protect Lyssa zampa, all Actias , Meandrusa, Cheritonus , Mouhoutia, Stichopthalma etc UNDER THAI law - but also enforced CITES - thus Trogonoptera as also Troides Ornithoptera etc were protected. Hong Kong - as a signatory would protect CITES species and may also enforce redbook species but the latter should actually be confirmed by someone who really knows as I am basing this on assumption and what was INFERRED to me some years ago thus - may or may not be accurate. IF you like to also understand the "illegal trade" aspect - then understand that all insects from Sri Lanka are protected, same with India and in particular the ANDAMAN and NICOBAR ISLANDS, Bhutan (and Adam can verify this) is devout Buddist and does not allow collecting at all but you can still get the specimens!, Indonesia as a strict quota system - and species that are not listed are not to be collected and some are protected like Cethosia myrhinna from Sulawesi and is NOT TO BE COLLECTED AT ALL - as is Losaria palu and MANY MANY OTHERS. However you see them for sale everywhere. In saying this - CITES - Local faunal protection acts and laws are everywhere but to understand the lines that separate LOCAL laws from compliance to CITES regulations under the terms of the convention is a whole new world for most.
Cheers Greg
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Post by lepidofrance on Oct 26, 2011 0:49:25 GMT -8
 Without discussing now (the subject has been discussed often in this forum) the adequacy of regulations (CITES or local), I'll just make the following points - based on my personal experience - about the species cited: - Stichopthalma, Meandrusa in Thailand : sure, they are not common species. - Lyssa zampa : in Palawan, I saw hundreds samples flying daily near Port Barton : very common. - T. jordana was also very common in Palawan. - Cethosia myrhinna in Sulawesi was not so common but not rare. About local regulations, in some countries things are clear. For example, Palawan, were all species are protected (but T. jordana is sold in the Puerto Princessa airport !). In other countries, things are much more difficult to understand. In Indonesia mainly where I can't understand what is legal or illegal. Anyway, as you write, in places like Bantimurung, you can buy every kind of butterflies, protected or not . Many thanks for your very interesting infos on T. brookiana  . JMG
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Post by Khalid Fadil on Nov 9, 2011 19:02:57 GMT -8
I just got back from a collecting trip in Fraser's Hill. Saw plenty of Rajah Brooke! You could see them nectaring on the Lantana as you drove along the winding road. Also saw two males pursuing a female at a considerable height. Beautiful butterflies...
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