Hestina assimilis, the red ring skirt, is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae found in Asia. It is generally of large size. There are several subspecies: H. a. assimilis, H. a. formosana (Moore, H. a. shirakii (Shirozu, 1955), and H. a. f. nigrivena (Leech)[1]
| Hestina assimilis | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Hestina |
| Species: | H. assimilis
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| Binomial name | |
| Hestina assimilis | |
Range edit
H. assimilis is found from eastern Tibet to most all of China, in Hong Kong and in Korea.[2] Originally, this butterfly inhabited the subtropical regions of southern China, Taiwan, and Japan south of Kagoshima Prefecture, but now, due to global warming, its distribution range in the Japanese archipelago has expanded to the north, and it has even appeared in the Kanto region, in the central part of Honshu, Japan. It is now commonly seen in urban areas of Kanagawa, Tokyo, and Saitama Prefectures in Japan, and its breeding range is expanding.
Behavior edit
H. assimilis often uses its long proboscis to probe in muddy soil or gravel to get the moisture it needs.[3] The male is strongly territorial, always staying in high positions to defend its territory.
References edit
- ^ "Hestina Westwood, [1850]" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
- ^ Butterflies of the World, H. L. Lewis, (C) 1973, Lionel Leventhal Ltd.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-10-21. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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