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Valanga nigricornis
The adult is a yellowish-brown, or yellowish or greenish with blue-black markings; the hindwings are a deep rose colour. Males are 45-55 mm long and females 15-75 mm (Fig. 131). There is one generation a year. Eggs are laid in clearings in moist soil. Females can lay 2-4 pods at intervals of 12-41 days, with a mean of 158 eggs per female. Hoppers hatch after 60-75 days in Malaysia but in Java it takes 6-8 months. Males usually develop through six instars, sometimes seven, and females through seven, occasionally eight. In Malaysia, hopper development in cages was 92-125 days for males and 111-136 days for females. Hoppers are light green with black markings.
Mainly a woodland species and is found in forest clearings, on trees and shrubs.
Young hoppers remain close to laying sites. Both hoppers and adults like sunlight and seek out sunny areas for basking, either at the top of vegetation or on open sites. Most feeding is done during the daytime. There are no records of gregarious behaviour.
Spotted on Feb 22, 2016
Submitted on Feb 23, 2016
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