Aulocera padma

Aulocera padma, the great satyr, is a brown butterfly that ranges across the Himalayas to Assam, northern Burma and western China.

Range

The butterfly is found in the Himalayas from Shingarh, eastwards across to Abor valley, north Myanmar, west China and southeast Tibet.

Status

In 1932, William [Harry Evans] reported that the species was not rare from Chitral to Sikkim, rare in the eastern extremity of its range and rare and very rare westwards. Mark Alexander Wynter-Blyth said that it was very abundant in the Himalayas and Assam.

Description

The great satyr is 70 to 98 mm in wingspan. Dark brown above. With a white band across both wings. The upper hindwing is of even width throughout. It has a chequered fringe and a dark apical spot or ocellus on the forewing. The under hindwing is dark.

Habits

The great satyr has a powerful graceful flight and is easily recognised on the wing. It is found in all kinds of terrain above and prefers open areas especially on ridges and hilltops above :

Reproduction

The great satyr has two broods. The first brood appears from the end of April to the onset of the rainy season and is very common. The scarce second brood flies after the monsoon. The larva feeds on Gramineae.