Notocrypta curvifascia

Restricted Demon
From Wayanad, Kerala
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae
Genus: Notocrypta
Species: N. curvifascia
Binomial name
Notocrypta curvifascia
(Felder & Felder, 1862)

Notocrypta curvifascia, commonly known as the Restricted Demon, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae. N. curvifascia is commonly found in many regions of temperate and tropical East Asia, Indonesia, and the Indian subcontinent, wherever its preferred larval host plant, Alpinia speciosa can be found.

Among butterflies, it is relatively small, at approximately 4 cm long (adult). Its wings are dark brown to black, with a white eyespot near the trailing end.

Host plants

The larval host plants include members of the Zingiberaceae and Musaceae such as Alpinia japonica, Alpinia zerumbet, Curcuma decipiens, Costus speciosus,[1] Curcuma longa, Globba marantina, Musa acuminata × balbisiana, Zingiber casumunar, Zingiber odoriferum, Zingiber officinale.[2] Other plants include Hedychium spp.[1] and Zingiber zerumbet.[3]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Kunte, K. 2006. Additions to the known larval host plants of Indian butterflies. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 103(1):119-121
  2. Gaden S. Robinson, Phillip R. Ackery, Ian J. Kitching, George W. Beccaloni AND Luis M. Hernández. HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants. Accessed March 2007
  3. Kalesh, S & S K Prakash (2007). "Additions ot the larval host plants of butterflies of the Western Ghats, Kerala, Southern India (Rhopalocera, Lepidoptera): Part 1". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 104 (2): 235–238.