Green Dragontail Lamproptera meges
Green Dragontail Lamproptera meges
Vulnerable
Shimmering and transparent Green Dragontails šš¦šŖ are forest-dwelling butterflies of SE Asia, fighting to survive due to #palmoil #deforestation š“š„ help them by going #vegan šš½š #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife in the supermarket @palmoildetect palmoildetectives.com/2024/01/ā¦
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Green Dragontails could be called the most exquisite and beautiful #butterflies alive š»š¤š¦They are #vulnerable due to #palmoil š“šŖš« and other #deforestation. Help them to survive! Be #vegan and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect palmoildetectives.com/2024/01/ā¦
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Extant (resident)
Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, south China, Brunei, eastern Malaysia, Philippines, Brunei, Indonesian archipelago (Nias, Java, Sulawesi, Java, and Bangka) and northeastern India (Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Assam, Manipur)
Green Dragontails could arguably be called the most exquisite and beautiful butterflies alive.They flutter through sunlit patches of leaves near to streams and rivers in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, and northeastern India.
They are mostly black and white with a bright turquoise or light green band running roughly parallel to their abdomens.
Their forewings feature a stunning glass-like transparent triangle known as a hyaline. Their tail features a star-like galaxy pattern that glints in sunlight.
It has been over a decade since they were last surveyed, their range overlaps significantly with areas already cleared for palm oil. Help their survival and use your wallet as a weapon! #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife
Green Dragontails belong to the swallowtail butterfly family, endemic to South and Southeast Asia. They are mostly black and white with a bright turquoise or light green band running roughly parallel to their abdomens.
The smallest of the dragontail butterflies, adult green dragontails have an average wingspan of only 40-55mm. They flutter through sunlit patches of leaves near to streams and rivers and are typically found in groups of two to three individuals.
Their forewings feature a stunning glass-like transparent triangle known as a hyaline. Their tail features a star-like galaxy pattern that glints in sunlight.
Dragontail butterflies fly in a unique way, flapping their wings extremely rapidly similar to a hummingbird or dragonfly. They use their long ribbon-like tails as rudders for balance while in flight.
Males appear differently to females, with the latter of a more dull coloured appearance. As caterpillars they have a dark green body spotted in black.
Green Dragontail sub-species
- Lamproptera meges meges Sumatra, Java, Borneo
- Lamproptera meges ennius (C. & R. Felder, 1865) northern Sulawesi, central Sulawesi
- Lamproptera meges akirai Tsukada & Nishiyama, 1980 southern Sulawesi
- Lamproptera meges virescens (Butler, [1870]) Burma, Vietnam, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Hainan
- Lamproptera meges annamiticus (Fruhstorfer, 1909) eastern Thailand, southern Vietnam
- Lamproptera meges pallidus (Fruhstorfer, 1909) northern Vietnam
- Lamproptera meges niasicus (Fruhstorfer, 1909) Nias
- Lamproptera meges decius (C. & R. Felder, 1862) Philippines
- Lamproptera meges pessimus Fruhstorfer, 1909 Philippines (Palawan, Balabac, Dumaran)
- Lamproptera meges amplifascia Tytler, 1939 Yunnan, Burma
Threats
The green dragontail is considered vulnerable and in need of protection in peninsular Malaysia. Although they have not been recently assessed by conservationists, their range overlaps significantly with forests already cleared for palm oil, rubber, timber and other agriculture.
A 2004 study of swallowtails in Assam, India finds they were already extremely rare there
In a study of swallowtail assemblages in Rani-Garbhanga Reserve Forest in Assam in 2003 and 2004, dragontails (Lamproptera species) were found to have one of the lowest mean abundances; both L. meges and L. curius being found in gaps (open patches) as well as in closed forest.[5]
A 2004 report had earlier suggested that the status of the green dragontail in Garbhanga Reserve Forest was āvery rareā; later a total of 108 butterflies of genus Lamproptera were seen during the 2003 and 2004 survey, the species-wise breakdown not being published.[
Habitat
Green Dragontails are found in tropical and sub-tropical rain forests in riverine settings like streams, waterfalls, and rivers as well as in leaf litter.
Their range includes northeast India including the states of Arunachal, Assam, Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland. They are also found in SE Asia in the countries of Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. In 2006 they were reportedly found on the islands of Java, Kalimanta, Sulawesi, Nias and Bangka.
However, in the decades since they were surveyed, their range has been cleared significantly for palm oil in SE Asia. Therefore, it is highly likely that these butterflies have now either gone extinct in these regions or are approaching extinction. Efforts to expand the growth of palm oil in the Assam region of India would also be a serious threat to this butterfly species.
Diet
Because of their straw-like mouthparts, butterflies are mainly restricted to a liquid diet. Butterflies use their proboscis to drink sweet nectar from flowers. The green dragontail has been observed eating from various tropical flowering plants including the family Hernandiaceae.
Mating and breeding
This butterflyās beauty is ephemeral and shortlived ā they have a typical lifespan of between 7 to 12 days. Their eggs are spherical, smooth and pale green. As caterpillars, they are dark green and spotted with black.
Support Green Dragontails by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, itās the #Boycott4Wildlife
Support the conservation of this species
This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.
Further Information
Green Dragontail on Butterfly Identification
How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?
Take Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Wildlife Artist Juanchi PĆ©rez
Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneoās Living Beings
Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Health Physician Dr Evan Allen
The Worldās Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
How do we stop the worldās ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time youāre in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
twitter.com/CuriousApe4/statusā¦
twitter.com/PhillDixon1/statusā¦
twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1ā¦
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
#animals #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #butterflies #butterfly #China #deforestation #ForgottenAnimals #GreenDragontailLampropteraMeges #India #Indonesia #insect #insects #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #pollination #pollinator #SouthEastAsia #Thailand #vegan #Vietnam #vulnerable #VulnerableSpecies
Green Dragontail Lamproptera meges
Green Dragontails could arguably be called the most exquisite and beautiful butterflies alive. They flutter through sunlit patches of leaves near to streams and rivers in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailā¦Palm Oil Detectives
Wildlife Artist Juanchi PĆ©rez
Juanchi Perez
Wildlife Artist, Illustrator, Animal Rights and Indigenous Rights Advocate
Juanchi PĆ©rez is a #wildlife artist and #animalrights advocate from #Ecuador who uses his paintbrush to fight 4 #Ecuadorās animals against #palmoil and #gold mining. Here is his inspiring story @ZIGZE #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4WildlifeJuanchi PĆ©rez is a #vegan #animalrights advocate and #wildlife artist who paints species of #Peru #Ecuador in his exquisite art. He discusses why #animals should matter more to us all than #greed @ZIGZE #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife
Bio: Juanchi PĆ©rez
Juanchi PĆ©rez is a talented and well-established designer, illustrator and artist from Ecuador who captures the soulful presence of rare rainforest animals near his home.
He is passionate about sharing the magnificent animals and plants of his bountiful homeland with the world. Together with his beautiful wife and daughter, he founded Zigze several years ago. They create eco-friendly homewares and clothing in Ecuador. This features Juanchiās signature illustrations of plants and animals. In this way, Juanchi shares the emotional lives of animals and plants in one of the most biodiverse hotspots on our planet. After seeing the devastation of palm oil firsthand in his country, Juanchi is a passionate advocate for the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
Palm Oil Detectives is honoured to interview to Juanchi PĆ©rez about his beautiful, powerful and impactful art featuring animals on the knife-edge of survival in South America.
Juanchi PĆ©rez
I admire the beauty in all creatures. There are fascinating worlds in all scales, from the minuscule to the enormous
It would be very hard to choose only one or a few favourites. It is mind-blowing to watch natureās creativity, there isnāt a single creature who does not possess an inherent beauty, it depends on humans to see it, or not.
Pionus chalcopterus detalle by Juanchi PĆ©rez
We are often so immersed in our lives that we donāt take the time to appreciate nature
It is kind of sad to see how many of us have forgotten to appreciate or just to contemplate the beauty all around us.
Diversity of the jungle by Juanchi PĆ©rez
My principal motivation to paint is nature and the love I have for it. I love all the magnificent creatures we have in this amazing planet we live in and which is our only home.
I paint animals to make them visible
I have always been attracted to drawing and painting animals. To show them to the world and hopefully change the way we should see nature- as a part of ourselves rather than apart from it.
I believe that all species deserve the same rights to exist
Humankind has lost itās values. Sadly money is the only driving force nowadays.We are destroying our own planet and the only place that we call home.
This isnāt just a problem with big companies, but also with our personal choices regarding our consumption habits ā what we buy as consumers.
Science has shown that tuna and other big fish populations have decreased more than 90% in many cases
Yet many people still choose to ignore this fact and eat fish rapaciously. If we donāt intervene, in a few years everything will be lost forever.
We should stop eating sentient beings
So yes, right now itās every personās responsibility and duty to critically analyse our food choices and to stop eating the sentient beings who deserve to have a life of their own and who do not have a voice.
You can purchase my art through my brand Zigze.com
My art can be found through my brand Zigze zigze.com or you can visit @zigze_arte_salvaje , or my other more personal IG @juanchi_illustration
In Ecuador where I live, palm oil has replaced vast areas of rainforest
Just like in other parts of the world, palm oil companies exist to make money. They wonāt stop with their endless expansion, because corporate greed doesnāt care for anything other than profits.
Andean Night Monkey Andus miconax threatene by palm oil deforestation #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife
A recent report by Insight Crime revealed that the major driver for deforestation in Ecuador is palm oil
Most forest loss in Ecuadorās Amazon results from land being cleared for palm oil cultivation. Meanwhile, Venezuelaās, Surinameās, and Guyanaās forests are most affected by gold mining.
Palm Oil and Land Grabs in Ecuador
As in Bolivia, deforestation in Ecuadorās Amazon is mainly driven by agroindustrial interests. Sixty-five percent of land use across Ecuadorās Amazon is designated for pasture, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). A lack of economic incentives for farmers discourages them from being sustainable and efficient in their practices, according to the UNDP. Meanwhile, the expansion of industrial agriculture has reduced possibilities for small-scale agriculture. As access to land has become scarce, the illegal grabbing of small plots has ramped up.Agricultural interests often drive the unconstitutional eviction of communities from territories that have belonged to them for centuries. In many cases, intimidation and falsified documents are used to expel them from their homes. Otherwise, agricultural activities linked to land grabbing are fomented by judicial decisions and rulings issued by authorities.
Extracted from: āInsight Crime: Fueling Forest Loss: Motors of Deforestation in the Amazonā, published November 8, 2022.Huge biodiverse parts of Ecuadorian coastal areas have been replaced by this devastating monoculture
Now huge areas of the Ecuadorian rainforest are suffering the same fate. For a cheap and crappy ingredient in supermarket products, we are losing our greatest treasure of Ecuador ā our biodiversity.It is doubtful that any palm oil company or palm oil investor can see the value of conserving this richness. Instead, they are creating a barren and dead land where no other species can thrive. They are disrupting all of the natural balancing systems that have supported humankind and animalkind for many millennia.
Palm oil companies are blind. There is no worst kind of blind person than those who refuse to see!
There is no sustainable way to produce palm oil. When you visit a palm oil plantation, the only thing you are guaranteed to find is kilometres and kilometres stretching far beyond the horizon or palms, palms and more palms.twitter.com/GeorgeW78246413/stā¦
Recently I had the opportunity to visit a palm oil plantation in Ecuador
āIt surprised me to see vast expanses of dead palms. At first I though perhaps they were in the process of being replaced. However, I later discovered that they were dying from some strange disease. The owners didnāt have a clue what was killing them.ā
Inside I rejoiced because this was nature fighting back!
As the forgotten father of environmentalism Alexander von Humboldt advised us more than 200 years ago when he glimpsed natureās vulnerability and the devastating environmental effects of colonial cash crop cultivation:Monoculture and deforestation made the land barren, washed away soil and drained lakes and rivers.Alexander von Humbolt as quoted in Los Angeles Times āOp-Ed: Alexander von Humboldt: The man who made nature modernā.
I support the boycott of palm oil and the #Boycott4Wildlife
I believe that our personal choices or actions regarding our consumer habits have way more effect than our words. We as consumers can drive the companies toward better habits.
I support any boycott that will bring greedy companies to their senses and to help stop the devastation of rainforests in Ecuador and other parts of South America and the world.
As a conscientious person, I have become aware of my choices. As far as it is possible, I choose to refrain from purchasing things with palm oil and to buy products with as light environmental footprint as possible.
I admire environmental activists so much
If I could speak to them directly, I would encourage them to keep persevering with their work.
āInsight Crime: Fueling Forest Loss: Motors of Deforestation in the Amazonā, published November 8, 2022.
Spoiled Fruit: landgrabbing, violence and slavery for āsustainableā palm oil
In Ecuador and in many other parts of South America, being an activist carries the risk of being killed
More than 1700 activists have been killed over the past decade. In Ecuador we hear more and more frequently about activists being murdered.twitter.com/GI_TOC_esp/status/ā¦
twitter.com/tajagroproducts/stā¦
twitter.com/DVIINGENIERIA/statā¦
I encourage journalists, activists and leaders to use every tool at their disposal to show what is happening
The voracious companies in Ecuador are devastating our nature and environment. If I could speak to the CEOās of these companies I would tell them to take their blindfolds off. Their greed and stupidity is no excuse for what they are doing to all life on our planet.
Greenwashing example: Activists place washing machines in front of the Deutsche Bank headquarters to protest against greenwashing during Deutsche Bank AG Annual Shareholders Meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, May 2022. REUTERS
Learn how to boycott palm oil this Halloween in America, the UK and Australia
PepsiCo
Procter & Gamble
PZ Cussons
Danone
Brands Using Deforestation Palm Oil
Kelloggs/Kellanova
MondelÄz
Johnson & Johnson
LāOreal
NestlƩ
Colgate-Palmolive
Unilever
What corporations do for industrial-scale food today will make all of us hungry tomorrow
All systems are collapsing at an alarming rate, mainly because of multi-national corporations and their reckless way of exploiting the natural world. They need to heed the science, logic and their own hearts instead of their bank balances. They need to stop pretending that their actions are not harmful.
Colgate-Palmolive greewashing in the supermarket to assuage consumer guilt but not actually preventing palm oil deforestation associated with their brand
Inhumans of Late Stage Capitalism ā Brand ABCs consumerism
All of the fortunes in the world wonāt serve us anymore if the earthās support systems collapse
Money wonāt serve any purpose if we canāt breathe and donāt have clean water to drink. What these people will discover is that we canāt eat and drink money and we will see them in hell!The fight is an unfair one
Palm oil giants, allied with the governments have infinite resources, if you compare this with the resources of indigenous peoples.It is a David and Goliath battle.An orangutan against a bulldozer
A single person against the machinery of death
Reason against stupidity
Love against hatred
Communities against the egos
Reason against madness
In defence of nature it will take a brave and valiant effort to resist this sort of power. We should support these activists and demand that their voices are heard throughout the entire planet.
news.mongabay.com/2022/02/commā¦news.mongabay.com/2022/02/pollā¦
ENDS
Learn more about animals endangered by palm oil in South America
Nancy Maās Night Monkey Aotus nancymaae
Maned Wolf Chrysocyon brachyurus
Sloth Bear Melursus ursinus
Andean Mountain Cat Leopardus jacobita
Bush Dog Speothos venaticus
Marsh Deer Blastocerus dichotomus
Alta Floresta titi monkey Plecturocebus grovesi
Colombian Red Howler Monkey Alouatta seniculus
Margay Leopardus wiedii
Northern Muriqui Brachyteles hypoxanthus
Brown Howler Monkey Alouatta guariba
Andean Night Monkey Aotus miconax
Spiny-headed Tree Frog Triprion spinosus
White-Nosed Saki Chiropotes albinasus
Amazon River Dolphin Inia geoffrensis
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Take Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneoās Living Beings
Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Health Physician Dr Evan Allen
The Worldās Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
How do we stop the worldās ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
Artist and Indigenous Rights Advocate Barbara Crane Navarro
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time youāre in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
twitter.com/CuriousApe4/statusā¦
twitter.com/PhillDixon1/statusā¦
twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1ā¦
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
#animalrights #animals #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #CreativesForCoolCreatures #Ecuador #gold #greed #JuanchiPerez #palmoil #Peru #vegan #wildlife #wildlifeActivism #wildlifeArt
Polluting with impunity: Palm oil companies flout regulations in Ecuador
This is the second in a two-part series.Ā ReadĀ Part One. Palm oil, a popular cooking oil as well as an ingredient in an ocean of products ranging from cookies to cosmetics, is the fourth largest commodity crop in Ecuador.Morgan Erickson-Davis (Conservation news)
