Malay viscount
The Malay viscount's caterpillars can feed on three host plant species from two unrelated families, and the adults have pale brown wings edged with pearly blue.
| Where | Forested nature reserves and woodland |
|---|---|
| Size | 50 to 70 mm wingspan |
| When | January to December |
The Malay viscount has pale greyish brown wings above with a discal row of dark brown edged, spear shaped markings, and males show black V shaped markings on the hindwing that are only faintly present in females.
Caterpillars feed on Palaquium obovatum, Pouteria obovata and Adinandra dumosa, and adults are rather common in nature reserves and forested areas across Singapore, mainland Malaysia, Borneo, Nias and Pulau Tioman.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
Brown, Blue
Active
Day
To people
Not known to bother people; it is usually seen resting on foliage in shaded nature reserves.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Males show a broad greenish blue border on a velvety black background and females show white helmet shaped spots, unlike the pearly bluish edges and dark spear shaped markings of the Malay viscount.
Questions
Is the Malay viscount dangerous to people?
Not known to bother people; it is usually seen resting on foliage in shaded nature reserves.
When can you see the Malay viscount?
The Malay viscount can be seen from January to December, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Swiss Natural History Collections - SwissNatColl, CC BY 4.0, GBIF Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Brush-footed butterflies›Tanaecia
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.