New Issue: Taiwan Butterflies Postage Stamps (Issue of 2011)／Les nouveautés: Les Papillons de Taiwan (l'Édition de 2011)

Date of Issue: 8.4.2011

Because of its richly varied geography and its location straddling the tropics and subtropics, Taiwan has a great number of butterflies with rich species diversity. To call public attention to the importance of ecological conservation, Chunghwa Post previously issued a set of stamps on Taiwan butterflies on June 25, 2009, and it is now following up with a souvenir sheet (Issue of 2011), consisting of four stamps, featuring Euploea butterflies. The souvenir sheet, following the format of its forerunner of 2009, is printed in the shape of a butterfly, with a butterfly-shaped cutout on each stamp. The designs follow:

1. Euploea eunice hobsoni (Butler) (NT$5): This butterfly has dark brown forewings with an iridescent blue shimmer. There are some pale blue gray markings on the submarginal areas of each of its wings and at the center of its forewings.

2. Euploea sylvester swinhoei Wallace Moore (NT$5): The upper surfaces of the forewings of this dark brown butterfly have an iridescent blue shimmer near the apex and light blue spots along the outer edges of its cells. There are three pale blue gray spots at the center of the underside of its forewings.

3. Euploea tulliolus koxinga Fruhstorfer (NT$12): This dark brown butterfly has iridescent blue forewings. There are rows of white markings in the submarginal areas of the upper surfaces of each of its wings. The undersides of its wings are paler in color, with white markings at the center of its forewings and also in positions that correspond to the white spots on its upper surfaces.

4. Euploea mulciber barsine Fruhstorfer (NT$12): The male has a large violescent patch with some scattered tiny white spots near the apex of its forewings. The female has white scattered spots near the apex and white streaks on the inner edges of the forewings and the cells of the hind wings.