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| Profile |
| Scientific
name: |
Sasakia charonda formosana
(Shirozu) |
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| Features: |
As
its name implies, the Large purple fritillary is a large fritillary
with a wingspan of 8.5-10cm. Males have blackish-brown wings
with whitish-brown spots on its cells, especially in the center
of its forewings, which are covered with white spots. The
centers of both its forewings and hind wings shine with a
purplish, metallic luster. The wings of females are also blackish-brown
in color, but are larger than their male counterparts and
lacking in the purplish, metallic luster. |
| Behavior: |
The
larvae of Large purple fritillaries feed on the leaves of
the Celtis sinensis and pass through six instars before becoming
adults. They spend most of the winter in larva form under
fallen leaves and turn into pupa during the spring, at which
time they will attach themselves to leaves, leafstalks, or
nearby plants. Adults emerge between May and August, breed
only once per year, and diet on tree sap and the juice of
mature fruits. |
| Habitat: |
Large
purple fritillaries live in the mountainous regions of central
and northern Taiwan, especially in Ba-lin on Lala Mountain
and Jianshi and Wufeng on Jiaoban Mountain. |
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