Dacalana cotys
| White-banded Royal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Dacalana |
| Species: | D. cotys |
| Binomial name | |
| Dacalana cotys (Hewitson, 1865) | |
The White-banded Royal Dacalana cotys[1] is a species of blue butterfly found in South East Asia.
Range
The butterfly occurs in India from Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh.[2]eastwards and across to northern Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar.[2] and Thailand.[1][3]
Taxonomy
The butterfly was previously classified as Pratapa cotys,[3] Ancema cotys[4] and Camana cotys.[5]
Status
Not Common as per Wynter-Blyth.[6] Not Rare as per Evans.[3]
Description
- For a key to the terms used see Lepidopteran glossary
The butterfly has a wingspan of 33 to 37 mm. UP: Male - The White-banded Royal above is a bright azure blue with a black border at the apex ranging from 0.5 to 5 mm at the apex. On the hindwing is a mid-costal white patch. The male has a brand on the UPF. Female - Paler with a prominent white patch at the end cell of the FW. UN: The butterfly has a white band on a pale-brown background which broadens towards the costa and dorsum. There is a lot of seasonal variation in the band-width.[7]
Habit and Habitat
Mostly seen in wooded slopes of Himalaya. They are confined to forested area, often in the upper canopy. Males are often seen mud puddling.[2]
Cited references
- 1 2 Marrku Savela's Website on Lepidoptera Page on Dacalana genus.
- 1 2 3 Isaac Kehimkar (2008) The Book of Indian Butterflies Bombay Natural History Society, Oxford University press, Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta, Chennai
- 1 2 3 Evans,W.H.(1932) The Identification of Indian Butterflies, ser no H59.2, pp 279.
- ↑ Card for cotys in LepIndex. Accessed 08 August 2007.
- ↑ Yutaka Inayoshi, A Check List of Butterflies in Indo-China, page on Dacalana cotys.
- ↑ Wynter-Blyth, M.A. (1957) Butterflies of the Indian Region, pg 338.
- ↑ Haribal, Meena (1994) Butterflies of Sikkim, pg 106.
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.
- Evans, W.H. (1932) The Identification of Indian Butterflies. (2nd Ed), Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India
- Haribal, Meena (1994) Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya and their Natural History.
- Marrku Savela's Website on Lepidoptera .
- Wynter-Blyth, M.A. (1957) Butterflies of the Indian Region, Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India.
- Yutaka Inayoshi, A Check List of Butterflies in Indo-China, page on Family Lycaenidae (accessed on 7 August 2007).