Common Grass Yellow

Eurema hecabe belongs to Pieridae and is known as the Common Grass Yellow. Eurema mandarina, formerly included within a broader hecabe concept, is treated as a separate sister species. [3][7]

The upper wings are bright yellow with dark borders; brown markings occur below. In Singapore’s contubernalis, females are larger and paler than males, with broader, more diffuse dark markings. The forewing apical mark can be reduced or absent. [3]

Naturalis records hecabe across the Old World tropics, from Africa through southern Asia toward the Pacific, and associates it with sunlit forest edges. Singapore records include forest, mangrove, garden and urban habitats. [4][3]

Larval food plants belong to Fabaceae. Singapore examples include Senna and Caesalpinia. In Mizoram, northeastern India, larvae were recorded on young Cassia fistula foliage in December 2009. [3][5][6]

A 2020 study distinguished 67 hecabe and 38 mandarina using the nuclear Tpi gene in samples collected chiefly in Japan, with Taiwanese hecabe also included. The assay produced fragments of approximately 375 base pairs for hecabe and 120 for mandarina. [7]

In the populations studied, mitochondrial DNA could not distinguish the two species. The authors related their shared mitochondrial lineages to historical hybridization. [7]

Linnaeus described the species as Papilio hecabe in 1758. The modern combination is Eurema hecabe; mandarina is now treated separately. [8][7]

Singapore’s third Red Data Book lists Eurema hecabe contubernalis as Least Concern. [2]

Scott Schubr’s Luminary Oddities illustrations depict the adult outline, yellow wing fields and dark borders. Edition titles identify the individual compositions.

Keep the enclosure away from direct sunlight, dampness and large changes in temperature or humidity. Handle the frame, clean only its exterior, and inspect for loose fragments, moisture and pests. Retain the specimen’s original labels and follow the enclosure maker’s care instructions. [1]