The Plain Nawab (Polyura hebe) gets its name from its regal, sweeping wing shapes and a historical British practice of using South Asian royal titles. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, British lepidopterists and collectors in South and Southeast Asia frequently assigned aristocratic titles and military ranks to butterflies. In Asia, a Nawab is roughly equivalent to a prince, governor, or viceroy. Male Plain Nawabs are notoriously territorial; they choose a high perch on a tree canopy and launch rapid, aggressive aerial sorties to chase away any invading insects before returning to the exact same leaf. It is found in Southeast Asia, spanning across Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia (including Java, Sumatra, Bali, and Borneo).
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