India Butterflies FDC

India FDC
Name: Endemic Butterflies of Andaman And Nicobar Islands
Issue date: 2008 January 2nd

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are blessed with rich butterfly fauna due to presence of humid tropical rainforest. The long isolation of these islands and their relatively undisturbed ecology provides scope for the evolution of many endemic varieties. The butterfly fauna of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has a high degree of endemism, they are very unique. Some of the endemic butterflies are, Andaman Morman, Andaman Club Tail, Andaman Snow Oak Leaf, Tailless Oak Blue and Andman Snow Flat: Nicobar Yeoman and Nicobar Map. The Department of Posts is happy to issue a set of four postage stamps on endemic butterflies of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Designs:
5,00: PAPILIO MAYO (MALE)
Andaman Mormon (Papilio Mayo) was the first endemic butterfly described from Andaman Islands. The wing expanse of male is 120 mm while that of female is 150 mm. the body is black in both sexes. Male has black upper side; fore wing without internervular streak, hind wing without tail, antediscal broad blue band, underside black; fore wing with basal red streak and obscure internervular veins; hind wing with red patch, a complete red ocellus, submarginal blue lunular spots; posterior ones less prominent.

5,00: PAPILIO MAYO (FEMALE)
The female has fore wing with broad internervular streaks; while in the discal area. Hind wing is interrupted by an oval black sport and by a b road elongated black patch, apical half of tail is red whitish at apex. It food plant is citrus plant of climbing vine. this endemic species is not rare in Andamans but females are very difficult to sight. This is a forest species which inhabits North to South Andamans. It resembles Great Mormon and is also mimic to Andaman Clubtail.

5,00 PACHILIOPTA RHODIFER (FEMALE)(Andaman Clubtail)
Wing expanse of female is 140mm. The female is mimic to female Andaman Mormon and flies slowly together in forest paths. This endemic species used to be very common in 80's in South Andamans but now a days it is rarely sighted. Its food plant is Thotia tomentosa.

5,00 PACHILIOPTA RHODIFER (MALE)(Andaman Clubtail)
Wing expanse of male 120mm. The body of the male is red upper side black; fore wing has pale streaks extending up to apex of cell; hind wing are more crimson red; hind wing upper side distend with black scales, discal more extensive; antediscal spot extends well below vein.

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