Udara akasa

White Hedge Blue
White Hedge Blue
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Udara
Species: U. akasa
Binomial name
Udara akasa
(Horsfield, 1828)
Synonyms

Akasinula akasa
Cyaniris akasa
Lycaenopsis akasa

The White Hedge Blue (Udara akasa) is a small butterfly found in India[1] that belongs to the Lycaenids or Blues family.

Taxonomy

The butterfly was earlier known as Lycaenopsis akasa.[1]

Description

Male Upperside, fore wing: black; a medial triangular area that extends from base outwards to the disc white, suffused at base and anteriorly with iridescent blue that spreads upwards on to the black of the costa; along the dorsum the black groundcolour is much paler, in most specimens diffuse fuscous. Hind wing: white, basal third and costal margin broadly suffused with fuscous, the fuscous at base posteriorly overlaid with iridescent blue; a subterminal series of fuscous-black dots and a distinct but very slender black anticiliary line. Underside : white very slightly tinged with bluish; markings all fuscous black, minute and very slender. Fore wing: a short disco-cellular line followed by on anteriorly, strongly curved, discal series of very short detached lines and a more or less obsolescent transverse series of subterminal dots. Hind wing: three subbasal dots in transverse order; a short line on the discocellulars; a spot below the middle of the costa with a smaller spot below it; a posterior discal irregular sinuous series of five or six minute spots and a perfectly regular subterminal series of similar spots. Cilia of both fore and hind wings white. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen blackish, the antennae ringed with white ; beneath : the palpi, thorax and abdomen snow-white.

Female: Very similar. Upperside: the white area much more extended on both fore and hind wings. On the former it spreads well into the cell, on the latter three-fourths of the wing are white; the dusky basal and costal areas much more restricted than in the male. The iridescent blue suffusion is in many specimens entirely absent, in a few very faintly indicated ; the subterminal series of black dots so distinct in the male are generally faint and obsolescent. Underside: as in the male but the markings less distinct. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen as in the male.[2]

Range

It is found in Sri Lanka and South India.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Evans,W.H.(1932) The Identification of Indian Butterflies, ser no H21.14, pp 221-226
  2. ↑ Bingham, C. T. (1907) Fauna of British India. Butterflies. Volume 2.
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