Taxobox
name = Pasha
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Lepidoptera
divisio = Rhopalocera
familia = Nymphalidae
subfamilia = Apaturinae
genus = Herona
species = 'H. marathus'
binomial = "Herona marathus"
binomial_authority = (Doubleday, 1848)The Pasha "Herona marathus" is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in India.
Description
The adults are dark brown above with two yellow or white discal bands on fore and hind wing. They have a basal streak in vein 1b of forewing. Underside of forewing, in vein 5 with white streak in outer half till termen.
Habits
Habits:Fairly common up to 4000 ft. in Sikkim-Darjeeling area. Most frequent between 2000-3000 ft. It is very fond of over-ripe fruits. Visits damp patches for puddling. According to Haribal (1992), when disturbed sits with head down and wings close to tree trunks and thus perfectly camouflaged. Very difficult to catch/locate in this stage. Haribal (1992) saw it in Chungthang and Mangan area of Sikkim.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies are recorded in India:[Evans, W.H.(1932) The Identification of Indian Butterflies, ser no F8.1, pp 147] ]
*"H. marathus marathus" Doubleday. Wingspan 70-90mm. Above bands tawny, very wide and confluent. Distribution: Sikkim to Eastwards.
*"H. marathus angustata" Moore. Wingspan: Above bands tawny, narrow. Discal bands on hindwing and outer band on forewing macular. Bands in males whitish while in female white. Distribution: Andaman . Status: Unknown.tatus
The nominate subspecies is Not rare (Evans, 1932).
Cited references
ee also
*Nymphalidae
*List of butterflies of India (Nymphalidae)
References
* Beccaloni, G. W., Scoble, M. J., Robinson, G. S. & Pitkin, B. (Editors). 2003. The Global Lepidoptera Names Index (LepIndex). World Wide Web electronic publication. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/entomology/lepindex.
* Evans, W.H. (1932) The Identification of Indian Butterflies. (2nd Ed), Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India
* Haribal, Meena (1994) Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya and their Natural History.
* Marrku Savela's Website on Lepidoptera [http://www.nic.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/index.html] .
* Wynter-Blyth, M.A. (1957) Butterflies of the Indian Region, Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India.
