Nature @ IIT Bombay: Hasora chromus (Common Banded Awl)

Friday, 9 March 2012

Hasora chromus (Common Banded Awl)

Hasora chromus newly emerged

Like almost all the skippers Hasora chromus (Common Banded Awl) is crepuscular in habit. It can be seen nectoring on Lantana early in the morning or late evening. It is common in post-mansoon months. It has stout body and hence it is very swift flier. Male and female are same in markings on underside of their wings. Male has brands on upperside. Female lays egg singly on tender leaves or shoot of the plant.

We were able to observe its early stages. The caterpillar was found on Pongamia pinnata (करंज) [1] behind the convocation hall of IITBombay. It was newly planted there, so height of the tree was ~ 4 feet. The caterpillar was inside the cell made up of the leaf (see the photo below). The caterpillar came out of the cell to feed, often partly eating its own cell. After finishing off that cell it wandered around to find suitable place to make another cell and so on it continued. It mostly preferred to come out of the in night.

On the same plant we found 3 caterpillar of almost same maturity. The pupa was white in colour and loosely held by body bands. Again the caterpillar made cell to pupate. Before pupation the caterpillar was almost immovable for a day. It firstly attached its lower end to leaf and then its skin slowly ruptured. This process took almost a day.

We have seen 5-6 female Hasora chromus laying eggs on newly blossom Pongamia pinnata near Hostel-13. (We have seen Pongamia pinnata blossoming at end February). Pongamia pinnata may be the preferred larval host plant for this species (at least in our campus); because this plant is present almost everywhere.

Reported larval host plants [2] are: Pongamia pinnata, Ricinus communis, Trichilia connaroides.

Contributors: Swapnil Lokhande and Abhay Soman.