Abisara fylla

Dark Judy
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Riodinidae
Genus: Abisara
Species: A. fylla
Binomial name
Abisara fylla
(Westwood, 1851)

The Dark Judy (Abisara fylla) is a small but striking butterfly found in India that belongs to the Punches and Judies, that is, the family Riodinidae.

Description

From Bingham, C. T. (1905) The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Butterflies Vol. 1

Male at Samsing in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India.

Male Upperside rich dark brown. Fore wing with a cream-coloured even band from middle of costa to tornus, "bent slightly inwards at each end; a subterminal transverse, very obscure, pale fascia ending anteriorly in a white dot and two subapical white dots. Hind wing: postdiscal and subterminal very obscure pale transversa fasciae; the latter with a superposed series of seven oval black spots each with a white dot on tho outer margin and inwardly pale-edged; the preapical two and posterior two of these spots only clearly defined, the others obsolescent, the preapieal two the larger. Underside duller brown ; the markings as on the upperside; the hind wing with indications of a sub-basal pale fascia in addition to the others. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen dark brown; beneath the palpi, thorax and abdomen paler; antenna with a white dot at apex.

Female at Samsing in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India.

Female. Similar; the termen of the hind wing more distinctly but very broadly angulated outwards in the middle. Upperside: the ground-colour paler duller brown, the oblique band on the fore wing pure white, not cream-coloured; six (not seven) black spots in the subterminal series on the hind wing, the spots larger and more clearly defined than in the male. Underside: ground-colour paler than on the upperside: markings similar; no trace of a subbasal band on the hind wing, the middle two spots of the subterminai series more or less obsolescent. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen concolorous with the ground-colour of the wings, a white spot at apex of the antennae; beneath, the palpi, thorax and abdomen paler, marked with white.

  • Expanse: 52–62 mm
  • Habitat: The Himalayas. Mussoorie to Sikkim ; the hills of Assam, Burma and Tennaserim.

See also

References

External links