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TAWNY RAJAH
Charaxes bernardus

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Classification

Phylum Arthropoda

Class Insecta

Order Lepidoptera

Family Nymphalidae

Genus Charaxes

Species C. Bernardus

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TAWNY RAJAH
Charaxes bernardus

Charaxes bernardus, the tawny rajah, is a butterfly that belongs to the rajahs and nawabs group. The Charaxinae group of the brush-footed butterflies family. This species can be found in India, China, Indomalaya, and onwards to Indonesia.

Charaxes bernardus has a wingspan of about 7-9 centimetres. The upperside of wings is reddish brown or pale brown-orange, with dark brown/black speckles at the wings tips and small black marks at the margin of the hindwings. On the underside of the wings there are irregular wavy or tawny brown speckles and whitish zigzag bands.

Males and females are very similar in appearance but the female is larger. The tornus and vein 2 on the hindwing extend into minute tails.

Male: The hindwing and basal parts of the forewing are reddish orange. A large portion of the outward area of the forewing is jet black with a black line at the cell end. The black of the hindwing is not as dark as that of the forewing. The two silvery white spots at the anal angle are edged in black. The underside takes on various shades of rusty brown, separated by irregular black oblique lines.

Female: A broad, pure white band just beyond the cell of the forewing. This band faintly extends up to interspace 6 of the hindwing. The silvery white spots are not restricted to the anal angle and continue throughout as a sub-marginal row in the hind wing. Its underside has a yellowish tinge which gives it a lighter appearance than the male.

The fast flying Tawny Rajah travels at all levels through the forest. They only feed on rotting fruit, tree sap and faecal matter. Males are fond of mud sipping, but females are rarely seen on the ground. They engage in "hill topping". This is a migrant species.

Known food plants of this species include: Aglaia lawii, Aglaia roxburghiana (Meliaceae), Cinnamomum camphora, Litsea glutinosa, Litsea populifolia (Lauraceae), Sapium sebiferum (Euphorbiaceae), Adenanthera pavonina, Paraserianthes falcataria, Tamarindus indica (Leguminosae) and Acronychia penduculata (Rutaceae). Larval Food Plants: Dalbergia pseudo-sissoo, Entada rheedii, Croton laccifer.


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