''Cyrestis achates'' is a

butterfly Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

of the family

Nymphalidae The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. Belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea, they are usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species ha ...

. It is found in south-east

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

Description

The meridional stripes are complete and rather heavy, more so than in '' thyodamas'' and '' nais''; the first and second consist, when they start at the costa of the forewings, of two branches having their interspaces delicately laved with pale blue; in no other ''Cyrestis'' form we find so much blue along the costa in the basal half; also the submarginal band is on either wing most profusely marked with blue. The chain-pattern is so indistinct, that we can barely recognize the two links at the anal extremity of the submarginal band on the hindwings. The innermost meridional stripe does not reach on the hindwing the anal margin, but ends shortly beyond the median vein; but the first median nervule being obscured with black appears like the continuation of the meridional stripe. The females are larger and paler and have the tails longer.Seitz, A. Band 9: Abt. 2, ''Die exotischen Großschmetterlinge, Die indo-australischen Tagfalter'', 1927, 1197 Seiten 177 Tafeln

Biology

The larvae feed on ''

Ficus ''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family (biology), family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few spe ...

'' species. They feed in large groups.

Subspecies

*''Cyrestis achates achates'' (Aru to West Irian to Papua and Goodenough Island) *''Cyrestis achates bougainvillei'' Ribbe (Bougainville, Guadalcanal, Santa Isabel) *''Cyrestis achates whitmei'' Butler (Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia)

References

Cyrestinae Butterflies described in 1865 Taxa named by Arthur Gardiner Butler Butterflies of Asia Butterflies of Oceania {{Nymphalidae-stub