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crow (butterfly)

Euploea treitschkei

Photo by Scott Frazier
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Description:

Euploea is a genus of milkweed butterflies. The species are generally dark in coloration, often quite blackish, for which reason they are commonly called crows. As usual for their subfamily, they are poisonous due to feeding on milkweeds and other toxic plants as caterpillars. The latter are aposematically colored, as is this specimen, to warn off predators from eating them, and the adult butterflies are often mimicked by unrelated species which are not or less poisonous.

Habitat:

Located near the forest edge in lowland coastal rainforest.

Notes:

Identified with expert advice, see comments. (Location map marker is approximate).

Reference Links:

Euploea treitschkei - Overview, Euploea, Papua Insects Foundation (Lepidoptera/Nymphalidae)

Species ID Suggestions

Common crow

Euploea core
peter
3

(probably this Crow)

Euploea treitschkei

Reference Link
EarlyStages
1

Comments (7)
Scott Frazier
Ooops must have mistyped the name in the search box. Thanks!
EarlyStages
Yes, it's there . . . http://www.papua-insects.nl/insect%20orders/Lepidoptera/Nymphalidae/Nymphalidae%20list.htm . . . about a third the way down.
Scott Frazier
Thanks EarlyStages. I of course do not have access to these volumes at present but will take the first opportunity to consult when I am in a university library next time! I regularly use a geo-specific website to assist in species IDs, in this case http://www.papua-insects.nl/insect%20orders/Lepidoptera/Papilionidae/Papilionidae%20list.htm but I don't see it listed. Perhaps it is due to the vagaries of taxonomy in flux. I did not see any species locales specific to Papua (western NG) looking elsewhere. The observations I've found are all eastern NG and islands east and south of there. Do you think I have an unusual (or new) occurrence record?
EarlyStages
See "The Butterflies of Papua New Guinea" by Michael Parsons, 1999, plate 128.3219 and species account. Euploea alcathoe is also a possibility ("The Life Histories of Asian Butterflies" Vol. 2 by Igarashi and Fukuda, 2000, plate 115), but I now think it's less likely. Congratulations Scott, this is a choice spotting!
EarlyStages
A Crow (Euploea), yes; the Common Crow (E. core), almost certainly not since this caterpillar appears very different, plus E. core is said to be "strangely" absent from the New Guinea mainland – e.g., replaced by a closely related taxon. I believe I know the identity of this immature Crow, but first need to check my images and references.

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Photographed
PublishedJuly 31, 2011

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