Polyommatus singalensis
| Singhalese Hedge Blue | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Polyommatus |
| Species: | P. singalensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Polyommatus singalensis Moore, 1877 | |
The Singhalese Hedge Blue (Polyommatus singalensis)[1] is a small butterfly found in Sri Lanka[2] that belongs to the Lycaenids or Blues family.
Description
Race singalensis, Felder.— Male Upperside: purplish blue with in certain lights a refulgent silvery iridescence, most conspicuous along the costa of the fore wing, fore and hind wings : a very narrow black edging to the terminal margins narrower on the hind wing than on the fore wing, not dilated towards the apex of the latter. Cilia conspicuously white. Underside: silvery white with a slight tinge of blue; both fore and hind wings with the usual Cyaniris markings. Fore wing: the postdiscal series of abbreviated lines or elongate spots pale brown, very regular, placed almost end to end, the series slightly curved and not closer lo the termen posteriorly than anteriorly. Hind wing: the markings are pale brown, regular but small, the subbasal transverse series of three spots and the subcostal spot in interspace 7 black, the latter not larger than the others. Both fore and hind wings: with the spots of the subterminal series very small, mere black dots; the inner subterminal series of markings lunular and generally somewhat blurred, the posterior lunules on the fore wing distinctly broadened as in the typical form but not so prominently; finally, the anticiliary black line very slender and clearly defined. Antenna, head, thorax and abdomen blackish, the antenna ringed with white, the thorax clothed with purplish-blue pubescence; beneath: palpi, thorax and abdomen white.
Female upperside, fore wing: costa and termen very broadly blackish brown; the remainder of the wing purplish blue, paling almost to white towards the anterior, outer portion. Hind wing: costa broadly, termen and dorsum more narrowly blackish brown, the rest of the wing pale purplish blue, the colour getting still paler on the anterior and outer portion as on the fore wing: the blackish-brown edging on the terminal margin reduced posteriorly to an anticiliary black line within which there is a transverse series of subterminal black spots enclosed further inwards by an obscure series of dark lunules. Underside: groundcolour and markings as in the male. Antenna, head, thorax and abdomen similar but darker.[3]
Taxonomy
The butterfly was earlier known as Lycaenopsis singalensis Felder.[2]
Range
Cited references
See also
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