UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

Senna polyphylla (Desert Cassia), belonging to the family Caesalpiniaceae, is reported as a new host plant of Catopsilia pomona (common emigrant) butterfly from Alathur, Palakkad district, Kerala, India. S. polyphylla is an ornamental plant with green-coloured compound leaves with fine and feathery leaflets and five-petaled flowers. The C. pomona is a medium-sized butterfly coming under the family Pieridae. The present study site was Butterfly Park of Sree Narayana College, Alathur (Lat. 10.633204° Long. 76.508705°) which is located in the southwestern part of Palakkad district.  During an opportunistic survey in the study site targeting caterpillars and butterflies, a female C. pomona was observed ovipositing on the apical portions of tender leaves of S. polyphylla. The eggs were spindle-shaped and creamy white, later hatching into light green larvae that fed exclusively on young, tender leaves. As development progressed, the larvae gradually turned darker and finally assumed a leafy green coloration. The head was green with black tubercles, and the spiracles were marked by a continuous white line. Each body segment bore black tubercles (Fig. 2d), along with paired longitudinal lines extending from the head to the anus. The larval stage lasted approximately 20 days. The pupa was observed suspended by a silken thread, attached to the substrate by a black cremaster. It was bright green in colour, with a continuous yellow line running laterally from the cremaster to the head, which ended in a snout-like projection (Fig. 2e). The first adult butterfly emerged on the ninth day of pupation, and the complete life cycle of C. pomona on S. polyphylla was completed in approximately 34 days. For the time being fourteen species of host plants belonging to Apocynacea and Fabaceae are reported as host plants for C. pomona by various researchers. The present study recorded S. polyphylla belonging to the family Fabaceae as a new larval host plant of C. pomona.

This report makes a significant contribution to the scientific community by documenting a novel larval host association between the butterfly Catopsilia pomona and the plant Senna polyphylla. Such new host plant records are crucial for improving our understanding of insect - plant interactions, host range expansion, and adaptive ecological strategies in Lepidopterans.