The Malay Lacewing is a very
pretty butterfly. It is bright orange-red above with broad black
borders. The wings are scalloped, giving the hindwings an almost
sawtooth-like appearance. The undersides are orange-red with white
fasciae and are spotted with black forming an intricate pattern which probably
gives the origin of its name "Lacewing".
The butterfly is quite common
in the nature reserves and can be found fluttering around flowering bushes
like Prickly Lantana (Lantana camara) and the Snakeweed (Stachytarpheta
indica) as shown in the photos.
The wine red caterpillar has
long spines and is known to feed on Passion Fruit vine (Adenia spp.) |