Tirumala hamata

Tirumala hamata, the blue tiger, dark blue tiger, or blue wanderer, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in South-East Asia and Australia. In Australia, the butterflies perform mass migrations to the south in some years.

Tirumala hamata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Tirumala
Species:
T. hamata
Binomial name
Tirumala hamata
(MacLeay, [1826])[1]
Synonyms
  • Euploea hamata MacLeay, [1826]
  • Danais australis Blanchard, 1853
  • Papilio melissa Stoll, [1781]
  • Danais moderata Butler, [1876]
  • Danais hamata var. orientalis Semper, [1879]
  • Tirumala angustata Moore, 1883
  • Danaida nephthys Fruhstorfer, 1911
  • Danaida pelagia Fruhstorfer, 1911
  • Danaida sassina Fruhstorfer, 1911
  • Danaida tibula Fruhstorfer, 1911
  • Danaida melissa melissa f. melissina Rothschild, 1915
  • Danaida tutuilae Hopkins, 1927
  • Tirumala neomelissa Bryk, 1937
  • Danaus mendica Talbot, 1943
  • Danaida hamata paryadres Fruhstorfer, 1910
  • Danaida singaria Fruhstorfer, 1910
  • Danaida hamata arikata Fruhstorfer, 1910
  • Danais (Tirumala) melissa nigra Martin, 1910
  • Danais (Tirumala) hamata goana Martin, 1910
  • Danais leucoptera Butler, 1874
  • Danaus hamata talautensis Talbot, 1943
  • Danaus hamata pallidula Talbot, 1943
  • Danaus hamata subnubila Talbot, 1943
  • Danaida (Tirumala) melissa coarctata Joicey & Talbot, 1922
  • Danais obscurata Butler, 1874
  • Danaida gariata Fruhstorfer, 1910
  • Danaus hamata insignis Talbot, 1943
  • Danais neptunia C. & R. Felder, [1865]
  • Danais claribella Butler, 1882
  • Danaida hamata neptunia f. protoneptunia Poulton, 1924
  • Danais melittula Herrich-Schäffer, 1869

The wingspan is about 70 mm. Adults have black wings with blue spots. They are grey with black bands between segments and orange lateral lines and a black head with white markings. Adults have been observed scratching the leaves of Heliotropium amplexicaule and Parsonia straminea, possibly to suck out moisture.[2]

The larvae feed on a wide range of plants including Parsonsia (including Parsonsia straminea and Parsonsia velutina), Heterostemma papuana, Heterostemma acuminatum, Hoya australis, Leichardtia, Marsdenia (including Marsdenia velutina), Secanome carnosum, Secamone elliptica, Tylophora, Cryptostegia grandiflora, Cynanchum carnosum, and Cynanchum leptolepis.

Subspecies
  • T. h. hamata (Australia: Cape York to Sydney)
  • T. h. arikata (Fruhstorfer, 1910) (Sula Islands)
  • T. h. coarctata (Joicey & Talbot, 1922) (Biak)
  • T. h. goana (Martin, 1910) (southern Sulawesi)
  • T. h. insignis (Talbot, 1943) (Solomons)
  • T. h. leucoptera (Butler, 1874) (Waigeu, Gebe, Neomfoor, West Irian)
  • T. h. melittula (Herrich-Schäffer, 1869) (Samoa)
  • T. h. neptunia (C. & R. Felder, [1865]) (Fiji)
  • T. h. nigra (Martin, 1910) (Buru, Ambon, Serang, Saparua)
  • T. h. obscurata (Butler, 1874) (New Britain, New Ireland, Duke of York Group, Bougainville to Guadalcanal)
  • T. h. pallidula (Talbot, 1943) (West Irian)
  • T. h. paryadres (Fruhstorfer, 1910) (Timor to Tanimbar, Aru and the Kai Islands)
  • T. h. subnubila (Talbot, 1943) (Papua, Yule Island)
  • T. h. talautensis (Talbot, 1943) (Talaud)
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References
  1. Tirumala at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. Australian Insects


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