Taxonomic Decision for Subspecies Arrangement

• Edwards, E.D. 1996. Nymphalidae. pp. 243-248, 359-360 in Nielsen, E.S., Edwards, E.D. & Rangsi, T.V. (eds). Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera. Collingwood : CSIRO Publishing Vol. 4 xiv 529 pp. & CD-ROM. [248]
• Lane, D.A. & Ham, R.D. 2019. New records of Euploea alcathoe monilifera Moore, 1883, stat. rev. (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Danainae) from Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia. Australian Entomologist 46(4): 171-178

Distribution

States

Northern Territory, Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Extralimital distribution—Indonesia (Aru Islands, Irian Jaya), Papua New Guinea.

IBRA

NT, Qld: Arnhem Coast (ARC) ; Qld: Cape York Peninsula (CYP)

Other Regions

Torres Strait Islands terrestrial, marine & freshwater

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • Northern Territory: N Gulf

Ecological Descriptors

Larva: herbivore (associated flora: Marsdenia australis (R.Br.) Druce [APOCYNACEAE] Doubah; Nerium oleander L. [APOCYNACEAE]; Asclepias sp. [ASCLEPIADACEAE]; Gymnanthera oblonga P.S.Green [ASCLEPIADACEAE]; Hoya australis R.Br. ex Trail [ASCLEPIADACEAE]; Ficus obliqua G.Forst. [MORACEAE]).

Extra Ecological Information

Introduced plants include Nerium oleander (Apocynaceae), Asclepias sp. (Asclepiadaceae).

Details of nominate subspecies, not present in Australia

Euploea alcathoe alcathoe (Godart, 1819)

Danais alcathoe Godart, J.B. 1819. Zoologie. Vol. 9 Pt 1 pp. 13–328 in Latreille, P.A. & Godart, J.B. Encyclopédie Méthodique. Histoire Naturelle. Entomologie, ou Histoire Naturelle des Crustacés, des Arachnides et des Insectes. Paris [178] [publication date: Sherborn, C.D. & Woodward, B.B. 1906. On the dates of publication of the natural history portions of the Encyclopédie Méthodique. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 7 17: 577–582; Cowan, C.F. 1968. [publication dates] Enc. Méth. 9. Journal of the Society for the Bibliography of Natural History 4(7): 307–311, 390 [310]; Sherborn, C.D. & Woodward, B.B. 1899. On the dates of the Encyclopédie Méthodique: additional note. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1899(3): 595] [178] [publication date: Sherborn, C.D. & Woodward, B.B. 1899. On the dates of the Encyclopédie Méthodique: additional note. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1899(3): 595; Sherborn, C.D. & Woodward, B.B. 1906. On the dates of publication of the natural history portions of the Encyclopédie Méthodique. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 7 17: 577–582; Cowan, C.F. 1968. [publication dates] Enc. Méth. 9. Journal of the Society for the Bibliography of Natural History 4(7): 307–311, 390 [310]].
Type data: syntypes whereabouts unknown ♂*; Godart in the original description did not indicate the number of specimens described but as he mentioned a variety there must have been several.
Type locality: Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia (as l'ile d'Amboine in original description).

General References

Ackery, P.R. & Vane-Wright, R.I. 1984. Milkweed Butterflies their Cladistics and Biology being an account of the natural history of the Danainae, a subfamily of the Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae. London : British Museum (Natural History) 425 pp. [230] (taxonomy, biology)

History of changes

• Euploea alcathoe enastri Fenner, T.L. 1991. A new subspecies of Euploea alcathoe (Godart) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) from the Northern Territory, Australia. Australian Entomological Magazine 18(4): 149-155 [150].

  Type data:

   Holotype ANIC 2495 ♂ (Fenner designated a holotype), Rocky Bay, NE Arnhem Land, NT (designated in original description).
  Paratype(s) ANIC 31♂ 7♀, Rocky Bay, NT and 6 km NW Mt Bonner, NT
  Comment: as well as in ANIC, paratypes are in BMNH, NTM, QFIC, QM, T.L. Fenner collection.

Introduction

Habitat types and larval food plants are given in Braby (2009), and distribution and habitat types are given in detail in Braby (2010).

Distribution

States

Northern Territory

Extra Distribution Information

Known only from the Gove area, NT.

Australian Endemic.

IBRA

NT: Arnhem Coast (ARC)

Ecological Descriptors

Larva: herbivore (associated flora: Marsdenia glandulifera [APOCYNACEAE]; Gymnanthera oblonga [APOCYNACEAE]; Parsonsia alboflavescens [APOCYNACEAE]).

Extra Ecological Information

'Adults of both sexes of Euploea alacathoe enastri were recorded in a variety of habitats on Gove Peninsula, including closed monsoon forest (i.e. wet evergreen vine-forest); rainforest edge (i.e. the ecotone between wet evergreen vine-forest and savanna woodland or paperbark woodland); mixed paperbark tall open forest or woodland (dominated by Melaleuca leucadendra (L.) L. or M cajuputi Powell) with rainforest elements in the understorey, usually in juxtaposition to wet evergreen vine-forest; and paperbark woodland (dominated by Melaleuca spp.) with pandanus (Pandanus spiralis R.Br.) in the understorey or mixed paperbark-pandanus woodland' (Braby 2009)

Associated Flora References

Braby, M.F. 2009. The life history and biology of Euploea alcathoe enastri Fenner (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) from northeastern Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. Australian Entomologist 36(2): 51-62 (Parsonsia alboflavescens; Marsdenia glandulifera; Gymnanthera oblonga)

General References

Braby, M.F. 2009. The life history and biology of Euploea alcathoe enastri Fenner (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) from northeastern Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. Australian Entomologist 36(2): 51-62

Braby, M.F. 2010. Conservation status and management of the Gove Crow Euploea alcathoe enastri (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), a threatened tropical butterfly from the indigenous Aboriginal lands of north-eastern Arnhem Land, Australia. Journal of Insect Conservation 14: 535–554

History of changes

• Euploea misenus Miskin, W.H. 1890. A revision of the Australian species of Euploea, with synonymic notes, and descriptions of new species. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 2 4(4): 1037-1046 [publication date: Anon. 1929. List showing dates of publication of parts of the Proceedings for each year. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. Index to vols 1–50 (1875–1925)] [1037] [introduced in a key on p. 1037, further described on p. 1039].

  Type data:

   Holotype QM T.12363 ♂, Cape York, QLD
  Comment: Miskin in the original description did not indicate the number of specimens described; Hancock (1995) located a single specimen in the QM which he referred to as a syntype although Miskin probably had only one specimen; Hancock gave type information; Lambkin et al. (2017) note the holotype.

  Type locality references:

  Hancock, D.L. 1995. The butterfly types of W. H. Miskin in the Queensland Museum (Lepidoptera). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 38(2): 519-528.
• Euploea aethiops monaeses Fruhstorfer, H. 1910. The Indo-Australian Rhopalocera. [Danaidae]. pp. 225-256 in Seitz, A. (ed.). The Macrolepidoptera of the World: a systematic description of the hitherto known macrolepidoptera. Stuttgart : Alfred Kernen Vol. 9 1197 pp. [publication date] [234].
• Euploea alecto rothschildiana Hulstaert, G. 1923. On Lepidoptera from New Guinea, Kei, Tenimber, the Philippines, and Australia. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 9 11: 178-190 [182].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Lambkin, T.A., Braby, M.F., Eastwood, R.G. & Zalucki, M.P. 2019. Taxonomic revision of the Euploea alcathoe complex (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) from Australia and New Guinea. Austral Entomology 58: 52-75 [17] (for Euploea aethiops monaeses Fruhstorfer, 1910 and Euploea alecto rothschildiana Hulstaert, 1923)

Miscellaneous Literature Names

• Euploea alecto monilifera Moore, 1883 [name used erroneously by multiple authors, see Lambkin et al. (2019) and Lane and Ham (2019)].

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Recorded from the Torres Strait ls and Cape York, QLD. Type specimen from Cape York, however there are no other records of this subspecies from mainland Australia.

IBRA

Qld: Cape York Peninsula (CYP)

Other Regions

Torres Strait Islands terrestrial, marine & freshwater

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Larva: herbivore.

General References

Common, I.F.B. & Waterhouse, D.F. 1981. Butterflies of Australia. Sydney : Angus & Robertson xiv 682 pp. 49 pls. [308] (as Euploea alcathoe monilifera, description, distribution)

Dunn, K.L. & Dunn, L.E. 1991. Review of Australian Butterflies: distribution, life history and taxonomy. Family Nymphalidae. Melbourne : K. & L. Dunn Vol. 4 513-660 pp. [519]

Waterhouse, G.A. 1936. [unpublished personal manuscript of observations made at the BMNH (Papilionidae, Pieridae, Danainae)]. Photocopy located at ANIC, Canberra, ACT. 29 pp. [27]

Waterhouse, G.A. & Lyell, G. 1914. The Butterflies of Australia: a monograph of the Australian Rhopalocera introducing a complete scheme of structural classification, and giving descriptions and illustrations of all the butterflies found in Australia, including a number now recorded for the first time. Sydney : Angus & Robertson 239 pp. 38 pls + 3 unnumbered colour pls. [Date published 25 July 1914] [20] (as Euploea alecto monilifera (Moore, 1883), description, distribution)

History of changes

• Gamatoba monilifera Moore, F. 1883. A monograph of Limnaina and Euploeina, two groups of diurnal Lepidoptera belonging to the subfamily Euploeinae; with descriptions of new genera and species. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1883(1): 201-252, pls 29-32; (2) 253-324.

  Type data:

   Holotype BMNH ♀ (Moore (1883) described the species monilifera on pp. 262-263, apparently based on a single specimen. Waterhouse and Lyell (1914) illustrated the type female on plate 3, figure 22. The specimen is considered to be a vagrant from western Cape York Peninsula (Lane and Ham 2019).), Thursday Island, QLD.

  Type locality references:

  Moore, F. 1883. A monograph of Limnaina and Euploeina, two groups of diurnal Lepidoptera belonging to the subfamily Euploeinae; with descriptions of new genera and species. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1883(1): 201-252, pls 29-32; (2) 253-324.

  Secondary source:

   Lambkin, T.A. 2005. Euploea alcathoe misenus Miskin (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in Torres Strait, Queensland. Australian Entomologist 32: 145-153; Lane, D.A. & Ham, R.D. 2019. New records of Euploea alcathoe monilifera Moore, 1883, stat. rev. (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Danainae) from Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia. Australian Entomologist 46(4): 171-178.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Moore, F. 1883. A monograph of Limnaina and Euploeina, two groups of diurnal Lepidoptera belonging to the subfamily Euploeinae; with descriptions of new genera and species. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1883(1): 201-252, pls 29-32; (2) 253-324

Introduction

Lane and Ham (2019) revised the status of Euploea alcathoe monilifera Moore, 1873, which was treated by Lambkin (2005) as a junior synonym of either E. alcathoe nox Butler, 1866 (from Aru) or E. alcathoe occulta Butler, 1877 (from PNG). The type locality of monilifera is Thursday Island, Torres Strati, but Lambkin (2005) considered this to be in error and hence it was believed the name was used in error to designate populations of E. alcathoe from TSI, now under the name Euploea alcathoe misenus Miskin, 1890. However, discovery of a population of Euploea alcathoe from western Cape York Peninsula by Lane and Ham (2019), the material of which resembles Moore’s female lectotype of Gamatoba monilifera Moore, 1873 as illustrated in Waterhouse & Lyell (1914, plate, figure 22), suggest the specimen was in fact labeled correctly.

Ecological Descriptors

Larva: herbivore (associated flora: Marsdenia australis (R.Br.) Druce [APOCYNACEAE] Doubah; Nerium oleander L. [APOCYNACEAE]; Asclepias sp. [ASCLEPIADACEAE]; Gymnanthera oblonga P.S.Green [ASCLEPIADACEAE]; Hoya australis R.Br. ex Trail [ASCLEPIADACEAE]; Ficus obliqua G.Forst. [MORACEAE]).

History of changes