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Euchromia
elegantissima Wallengren
Euchromia elegantissima Wallengren,
1861, Lep. Eug. Resa., 360.
Euchromia fraterna Butler,
1876, J. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Zool.), 12: 364.
Euchromia laura Butler, 1876, Ibid., 12: 364.
Euchromia orientalis Butler,
1876, Ibid., 12: 365.
Euchromia formosana Butler,
1888, Trans. ent. Soc. Lond., 1888: 114.
Euchromia
elegantissima (Peninsular
Malaysia)
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Diagnosis. The abdomen is ringed basally with red, the next two segments are ringed
blue, followed by three or sometimes four ringed red; in the otherwise very
similar E. polymena Linnaeus there are only two segments ringed red
distally, the third one having a blue ring. See also the next species.
Taxonomic notes. It is at present unclear whether elegantissima and polymena are
distinct or forms of the same species. The latter is known from the Indian
Subregion, S.E. Asia, Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi, and hence is not completely
sympatric with elegantissima. No marked differences in the male genitalia
have been noted (elegantissima from Taiwan, polymena from Sulawesi).
Seitz (1912-1913) placed elegantissima in synonymy with polymena, but
the two taxa are separated in the current BMNH arrangement. The lack of
distributional correlation might be understandable if the two taxa reflected
climate, polymena occurring where there was a marked dry season.
Geographical range. N. India to Taiwan, S.E. Asia, Peninsular Malaysia,
Borneo, Philippines.
Habitat preference. The species occurs in the lowlands, usually
encountered by day.
Biology. The larva may well resemble that of polymena, described in the
generic introduction.
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