Yellow flat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yellow flat |
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| Figure 20 from William Lucas Distant's Rhopalocera Malayana | |
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Mooreana
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| Species: |
M. trichoneura
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| Mooreana trichoneura (C. & R. Felder, 1860)
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The yellow flat (scientific name: Mooreana trichoneura) is a type of butterfly. It belongs to a group of butterflies called "flats" (the Hesperiidae family and Pyrginae subfamily). This butterfly has a wingspan of about 32 to 36 millimeters. That's roughly the size of a large coin!
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What Does It Look Like?
The top side of the yellow flat's wings is dark brown. On its front wings, you can see several white, clear spots and lines. These spots look like glass and are found on the outer part of the wing.
The back wings have black, wedge-shaped spots. There is also a yellow area near the bottom corner of the back wing. If you look at the underside of the back wing, it is mostly yellowish-white.
Where Does It Live?
The yellow flat butterfly can be found in many places. It lives across a wide area in Asia. You can find it in countries like India, Thailand, and Malaysia. It also lives as far away as the Philippines. In 2012, scientists even found this butterfly in Singapore for the first time!
Its Home (Habitat)
This butterfly usually lives in lowland forests. These are forests that are not very high up in the mountains. The yellow flat can be found at elevations up to about 833 meters (which is about 2,500 feet) above sea level.
How It Behaves
Like other butterflies in its group, the yellow flat is a very fast flyer. When it needs to rest, it often lands on the underside of a leaf. It keeps its wings spread out flat while resting.
What It Eats (Host Plant)
The caterpillars of the yellow flat butterfly eat leaves from a specific plant. This plant is called Mallotus paniculatus. This plant is very important for the butterfly's life cycle.
Different Types (Subspecies)
Sometimes, animals of the same species can have slight differences depending on where they live. These different groups are called subspecies. The yellow flat has several known subspecies:
- Mooreana trichoneura trichoneura
- Mooreana trichoneura pralaya (Moore, [1866])
- Mooreana trichoneura multipunctata (Crowley, 1900) (found in Haina)
- Mooreana trichoneura nivosa (Fruhstorfer, 1909) (found in Nias)
- Mooreana trichoneura nava (Fruhstorfer, 1909) (found in Java)
In India, the subspecies you would most likely find is Mooreana trichoneura pralaya. It is also known as the Yellow-veined Flat.
