Great Eggfly - Male
NIKON D7000 plus Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8
The Great Eggfly (Hypolimnas bolina), also called the Blue Moon Butterfly or Common Eggfly, is a black-bodied butterfly with a wingspan of about 8cm, found mainly in the deciduous forests of Southeast Asia including South Pacific islands, and in parts of Australia, Japan, and New Zealand.
The species has a high degree of sexual dimorphism. The female is mimetic with multiple morphs, known for maternal care, with the females guarding leaves where eggs have been laid. Males are also very territorial and site fidelity increases with age.
On the Samoan Islands, a bacterium (Wolbachia) strain had been killing the male members of Hypolimnas bolina, reduced them to only 1% of the population by 2001. However, in 2007, it was reported that within a span of just 10 generations, the males had evolved to develop immunity to the bacteria, and the male population increased to nearly 40%. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypolimnas_bolina
In addition, an extremely rapid change in sex bias was reported for a Polynesian population of Hypolimnas bolina, with a switch from a male:female sex ratio of 1:100 to 1:1 in fewer than 10 generations within 1 year, which implies a very rapid spread of the suppression of male-killing in the population. Charlat S et al. Extraordinary flux in sex ratio. Science. 2007b;317:214.
Family: Nymphalidae
This picture is taken in the indoor live butterfly garden of the Sensational Butterflies Exhibition, Natural History Museum, London
Great Eggfly - Male
NIKON D7000 plus Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8
The Great Eggfly (Hypolimnas bolina), also called the Blue Moon Butterfly or Common Eggfly, is a black-bodied butterfly with a wingspan of about 8cm, found mainly in the deciduous forests of Southeast Asia including South Pacific islands, and in parts of Australia, Japan, and New Zealand.
The species has a high degree of sexual dimorphism. The female is mimetic with multiple morphs, known for maternal care, with the females guarding leaves where eggs have been laid. Males are also very territorial and site fidelity increases with age.
On the Samoan Islands, a bacterium (Wolbachia) strain had been killing the male members of Hypolimnas bolina, reduced them to only 1% of the population by 2001. However, in 2007, it was reported that within a span of just 10 generations, the males had evolved to develop immunity to the bacteria, and the male population increased to nearly 40%. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypolimnas_bolina
In addition, an extremely rapid change in sex bias was reported for a Polynesian population of Hypolimnas bolina, with a switch from a male:female sex ratio of 1:100 to 1:1 in fewer than 10 generations within 1 year, which implies a very rapid spread of the suppression of male-killing in the population. Charlat S et al. Extraordinary flux in sex ratio. Science. 2007b;317:214.
Family: Nymphalidae
This picture is taken in the indoor live butterfly garden of the Sensational Butterflies Exhibition, Natural History Museum, London