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Lepidoptera > Papilionoidea > Nymphalidae > Limenitidinae > Limenitidini > Limenitis

Limenitis rileyi Tytler, 1940 – Tiger-mimic Admiral

Subspecies in India:

(1) Limenitis rileyi rileyi Tytler, 1940 – Myanmarese Tiger-mimic Admiral

Limenitis rileyi rileyi – Myanmarese Tiger-mimic Admiral

Limenitis rileyi rileyi - Myanmarese Tiger-mimic Admiral
Limenitis rileyi rileyi - Myanmarese Tiger-mimic Admiral
Limenitis rileyi rileyi - Myanmarese Tiger-mimic Admiral
Early Stages:
Unrecorded.
Indian and global distribution:
L. rileyi xizangana Huang, 1998: SE Tibet (Metok, Lower Tsangpo and Yigong, Yigong Tsangpo).
L. rileyi rileyi Tytler, 1940: Hthawgaw, North East Myanmar.
L. rileyi ngoclinensis Monastyrskii, Devyatkin & Hong, 2000: Central Vietnam.

The Indian record is a single male specimen in India collected on the 19 July 1987 near Anini, Upper Dibang Valley District, Arunachal Pradesh. The Upper Dibang Valley borders the SE Tibetan records and it also likely it maybe found in Lohit and Anjaw districts of Arunachal Pradesh as these districts lie between the SE Tibetan and NE Myanmar records. In 1987 the specimen was provisionly identified as Hestina oberthuri Leech (a synonym for Limenitis mimica Poujade), but it was clear it was not a good match and so was left unidentifed and not reported.  It was not until 2012 thanks to Dr David Lees NHM(B) that the specimen was identified as L. rileyi.

records (based on images):
Larval Host Plants:
Unrecorded.
Identification:
This is not a typical Limenitis species and there are no similiar species in India. The distinctive reddish brown ground colour on the underside suggests it is a mimic of the Tigers (Parantica), but the mimicry is superficial. The forewing discocelluar cell is completely filled greyish white and is not divided unlike the other Parantica mimic, Hestinalis nama.
Sexual, seasonal & individual variation:
Status, Habitat and Habits:
Records for this species are widely seperated and insufficient to ascertain its status.  It appears to be a Parantica mimic and the Indian specimen was collected in wet temperate forest at 1600 - 1800m.  Seasonal records are NE Myanmar, 25 June ; SE Tibet, 4 August; Upper Dibang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh 19 July. Altitude records are from 1500m-2400m.
References:
Huang. 2003. A list of butterflies collected from Nujiang (Lou Tse Kiang) and Dulongiang, China with descriptions of new species, and revisional notes. Neue Entomologische Nachrichten 55: 3-114

Tytler H.C. 1940. Notes on some new and interesting butterflies chiefly from Burma. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 42: 109–123.

Lepidoptera > Papilionoidea > Nymphalidae > Limenitidinae > Limenitidini > Limenitis


Cite this page along with its URL as:
Roy, P. 2019. Limenitis rileyi Tytler, 1940 – Tiger-mimic Admiral. Kunte, K., S. Sondhi, and P. Roy (Chief Editors). Butterflies of India, v. 2.61. Indian Foundation for Butterflies.
http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/sp/2097/Limenitis-rileyi
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