‘Dragon’ caterpillar impresses Phatthalung with thrust-back horns
A rare green dragon-like caterpillar was spotted at a mangosteen plantation in Phatthalung’s Srinagarindra district on Monday.
The “dragon-headed caterpillar” (Polyura athamas) was discovered in the unprecedented southern location by a photographer visiting the spot visited the spot to record birds and other wildlife.
This insect gained its fairy-book name due to its dark green elongated and slug-shaped body, topped off with four thrust-back horns reminiscent of a dragon.
Each caterpillar evolves into a pupa boasting green and white streaks before then again transforming into a brown-black butterfly with a wingspan of 64-85 millimetres.
It is normally found in the Himalayas from Kashmir to Sikkim, the hills of central India and the Eastern Ghats, the Western Ghats and southern India, Sri Lanka, Assam and Cachar, and through Myanmar, Cambodia the ancient Tenasserim Hills, and far into Indonesia.
In Thailand, dragon-headed caterpillars have been found in Ubon Ratchathani. However, they have not previously been discovered in the south of Thailand.
