Butterfly populations are a very good indicator of the health of an area's ecosystem !!
Males perch on shrubs in forest or orchard openings and sometimes patrol for females with a slow, floating flight.
Adults roost together under the leaves of low shrubs. Eggs are laid singly on host plant leaves, which caterpillars eat and rest beneath.
* The Malachite is similar in appearance to the Philaethria dido, the relatively scarce butterfly called the Bamboo Page or Dido Longwing, although the Philaethria has a longer, narrow longwing shaped wing.
* Both have similar home ranges.
Avg. Body Length: 7.1 - 8.4 cm / 2.8 - 3.3”
Avg. Wingspan: 8.5 - 10 cm / 3.3 - 3.9 "
Diet: Adults feed on flower nectar, rotting fruit, dead animals, and bat dung.
Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta, Order: Lepidoptera