Pseudophilotes vicrama

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Chequered Blue
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Papilionoidea
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Pseudophilotes
Species: P. vicrama
Binomial name
Pseudophilotes vicrama
(Moore 1865)

The Chequered Blue (Pseudophilotes vicrama)[1] is a small butterfly found in Asia[2][3] that belongs to the Lycaenids or Blues family.

Contents

[edit] Taxonomy

The butterfly was earlier known as Polyommatus vicrama (Staudinger)[2].

[edit] Range

It is found in South Asia from Baluchistan, Chitral (Pakistan), Jammu and Kashmir to Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh state of India.[2].

Wynter-Blyth records the Chequered Blue as Not Rare locally and occurring in Baluchistan and from Chitral to Shipki La.[4]

As per Savela, the butterfly is found in the Pamirs - Alai, Ghissar - Darvaz, Tian-Shan, North West India, South East Europe, Asia Minor, Caucasus, Transcaucasia, West Siberia, Altai, Turan and Kopet-Dagh.[3]

[edit] Description

The Chequered Blue is 20 to 26mm in size. The male butterfly is pale dusky-blue in colour with a broad border while the female is brown. The butterfly is named for its prominent chequered fringe.[4]

[edit] Cited references

  1. ^ Card for species vicrama in LepIndex. Accessed 14 October 2006.
  2. ^ a b c Evans,W.H.(1932) The Identification of Indian Butterflies, ser no H22.2, pg 225.
  3. ^ a b Page on Marrku Savela's site for genus Pseudophilotes (Lycaenidae).
  4. ^ a b Wynter-Blyth, M.A. (1957) Butterflies of the Indian Region, pg 281.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  • Beccaloni, G. W., Scoble, M. J., Robinson, G. S. & Pitkin, B. (Editors). 2003. The Global Lepidoptera Names Index (LepIndex). World Wide Web electronic publication. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/entomology/lepindex [accessed 14 October 2006].
  • Evans, W.H. (1932) The Identification of Indian Butterflies. (2nd Ed), Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India.
  • Marrku Savela's Website on Lepidoptera [1].
  • Wynter-Blyth, M.A. (1957) Butterflies of the Indian Region, Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India.


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