Life History Traits and Developmental Duration of the Yellow Coster Telchinia issoria Hübner, 1819 (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) Under Laboratory Conditions

TL;DR

This study tracks the life cycle of Telchinia issoria butterflies in the lab, showing how temperature, humidity, and light affect each stage of their development.

Contribution

The first detailed documentation of T. issoria's life history traits and their stage-specific environmental correlations under controlled conditions.

Findings

Complete developmental duration from egg to adult was quantified for Telchinia issoria.

Egg stage had the highest survival rate, while eighth-instar larvae had the lowest.

Larval duration negatively correlates with temperature and humidity, while pupal duration positively correlates with humidity.

Abstract

Telchinia issoria is distributed exclusively in continental Southeast Asia. Its distinctive morphology makes it a frequent subject in studies of biological mimicry. To systematically characterize its life history, we documented its complete development from egg to adult under controlled laboratory conditions, quantifying the total developmental duration and stage-specific survival rates. The results of this study reveal potential stage-specific association patterns: larval duration showed strong negative correlations with both mean temperature and humidity; pupal duration exhibited a moderate positive correlation with mean humidity; and adult lifespan was strongly negatively correlated with mean light intensity. These results delineate the stage-specific environmental dependencies of T. issoria and provide a basis for predicting how environmental change may affect insect population dynamics.

Understanding a species’ life history is essential for assessing its adaptability and resource trade-offs under environmental stress. Given their diversity and ecological significance, Lepidoptera represent an ideal model system for studying such adaptive responses. Under controlled laboratory conditions, we quantified the life history traits of Telchinia issoria and examined their associations with key abiotic factors—temperature, humidity, and light intensity—across all developmental stages. The results showed that: (1) the complete developmental duration from egg to adult was first quantified, establishing a crucial baseline for understanding its life history strategy; (2) the egg stage exhibited the highest survival rate, whereas the eighth-instar larval stage showed the lowest; and (3) correlations with abiotic factors differed markedly across stages, indicating stage-specific environmental sensitivity. Faster larval development may be associated with higher temperature, humidity, and light intensity; pupal development with high humidity and low light; and adult lifespan with low temperature, high humidity, and dim light. These findings advance our understanding of insect developmental plasticity, supporting more accurate population models and informing insect management and biodiversity conservation under climate change.

Figures