Neptis alwina is a large black-and-white butterfly of East Asia, found in Korea, China, Japan, and the Russian Far East. In Japan it's the biggest of the similar-looking sailers. You won't find it in the United States.
Appearance
- Appearance
- Wingspan is about 2¾–3 in (7–8 cm). The upperside is black with several white bands; the underside has the same pattern on a brown background. Look for a white mark near the forewing tip and a jagged notch in the white streak running through the middle of the forewing.
Where it lives
- Range
- East Asia only: the Russian Far East (Amur and Ussuri regions), central and northeastern China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan (Honshu and southern Hokkaido). It doesn't live in North America.
- Preferred conditions
- In Japan it's most common around villages where its food trees are planted.
Behavior
- Diet
- In Japan, caterpillars feed on trees in the rose family, mainly Japanese apricot (ume), apricot, and Japanese plum.
- Overwintering
- It spends the winter as a caterpillar. In Japan it rests on a silk pad in a fork or hollow of a twig rather than in a shelter.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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