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Cuc Phuong Butterflies

The lowest area of Cuc Phuong National Park and wettest layer of the forest is the litter layer. This floor receives almost no sunlight. The litter layer concentrates decomposing organic matter, forming a thick layer of humus that is a rich source of nutrients for lower plants such as moss and ferns.
This humid environment is also ideal for the growth of fungi and lichens.

Cuc Phuong butterflies
Cuc Phuong@ Colorful butterflies find essential minerals on rotting carpet.

Amidst the rotting corpses of plants and the green leaves rising from them, people can deeply feel a philosophy of nature: “Death is the beginning of life”.

Some kind of butterfly in Cuc Phuong National Park:

The butterfly in Cuc Phuong estimated to be about 500 species, about half the total butterfly species in Vietnam and more than the entire butterfly fauna of Europe or Australia (about 400 each). (See the common butterflies list below)

Nymphalidae
Danaus genutia ++
Parantica aglea +
Parantica melaneus +
Euploea mulciber ++
Euploea core ++
Euploea tulliolus +
Euploea sylvester ++
Tirumala limniace +
Elymnias hypermnestra +
Lethe confusa +++
Penthema darlisa +
Coelites nothis ++
Mycalesis spp. +++
Mycalesis malsara ++
Ypthima spp.+++
Faunis canens ++
Stichophtalma fruhstorferi +
Stichophtalma suffusa +++
Acraea issoria +
Ariadne ariadne +
Athyma selenophora +

Athyma nefte +
Cupha erymanthis ++
Rohana sp. +++
Cethosia cyane +
Cethosia biblis ++
Cirrochroa tyche +
Vagrans egista + +
Hestinalis nama +
Symbrethia lilaea +++
Symbrethia hypselis +
Juniona almana ++
Juniona atlites ++
Hypolimnias bolina ++
Cyrestis thyodamas +++
Cyrestis cocles +++
Cyrestis themire +++
Chersonesia risa ++ 
Vindula erota +++
Neptis clinia +++
Polyura athamas +++
Charaxes bernardus ++
Cynitia lepidea +
Tanaecia julii +
Hesperidae
Bibasis vasutana + 
Abraximorpha davidii ++ 
Tagiades sp. +  
Odontoptilum angulata ++
Arnetta atkinsoni +++ 
Pelopidas conjuncta + 
Polytremis lubricans +
Astictopterus jama ++  
Ancistroides nigrita +
Koruthaialos sindu + 
Potanthus sp. ++
Parnara sp. ++
Papilionidae

Chilasa paradoxa +
Papilio nephelus +++
Papilio helenus +++
Papilio polytes +++
Papilio memnon +++
Papilio protenor +++
Papilio paris ++
Graphium sarpedon ++
Graphium doson ++
Graphium agamemnon +
Graphium eurypylus ++
Graphium chironides +
Graphium macareus ++
Graphium xenocles ++
Lamproptera curius ++
Lamproptera meges ++

Lycaenidae
Curetis sp. ++
Jamides celeno +++
Heliophorus delacouri ++
Megisba malaya +
Udara cf. dilecta ++
Acytolepis puspa +++
Tongeia potanini +
Catochrysops strabo +
Ionolyce helicon +++
Anthene emolus +++
Prosotas dubiosa +++
Prosotas nora +++
Hypolycaena amasa ++
Yasoda tripunctata +

 

Pieridae
Leptosia nina +
Prioneris thestylis ++
Pieris canidia ++
Appias lyncida +++
Appias  albina +++
Appias galba +++
Appias indra +++
Cepora nadina +++
Cepora nerissa +++
Hebomoia glaucippe ++
Ixias pyrene ++
Eurema andersoni ++
Eurema hecabe ++
Eurema blanda ++
Catopsilia pomona +++

Riodinidae
Zemeros flegyas ++
Abisara echerius +

Note++ (Abundance : + 1-2 specimens, ++ 3-5 spec., +++ more than 5 spec.)

The aim of this article is to show the diversity of butterflies in Cuc Phuong, how this reflects the biogeographical changes in the region over the past 50-100 million years, behaviour patterns such as mimicry, camouflage, massing, host-plant relationships and the importance of the Cuc Phuong butterflies as environmental indicators.

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