Miletus biggsii

Bigg's Brownie
Museum specimen from Malaya
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Miletus
Species:	M. biggsii
Binomial name
Miletus biggsii (Distant, 1884)
Synonyms
Gerydus biggsii Distant, 1884 Gerydus boisduvali albotignula van Eecke, 1914 Gerydus boisduvali simalurensis Toxopeus, 1928 Gerydus boisduvali xeragis Fruhstorfer, 1916 Gerydus boisduvali hyllus Fruhstorfer, 1916 Gerydus biggsii sebethus Fruhstorfer, 1916 Gerydus biggsii extraneus Toxopeus, 1929 Gerydus biggsii natunensis Fruhstorfer, 1916 Gerydus biggsii niasicus Fruhstorfer, 1913 Gerydus biggsii batunensis Fruhstorfer, 1913

Bigg's Brownie (Miletus biggsii)^[1][2] is a small butterfly found in India and Myanmar^[3][4] that belongs to the Lycaenids or Blues family.

Range

It is found in Kodagu (Coorg) in India, Myanmar,^[3][4] Thailand, Langkawi, Malaya, Tioman, Singapore, Borneo, Sumatra, Belitung and Weh.

Status

Very rare in Kodagu (single record). Rare in Myanmar as per Wynter-Blyth.^[3][4]

Description

A small butterfly, 32 to 38 mm in wingspan. The upper forewing in both sexes has a broad white discal band which is straight, coalesced and comprises at least one-fourth of the wing.^[4]

Taxonomy

The butterfly was earlier known as Gerydus biggsii Distant.^[3]

Subspecies

• Miletus biggsii biggsii (southern Burma, Thailand, Langkawi, Malay Peninsula, Tioman, Singapore, Borneo, Sumatra, Belitung, Weh)
• Miletus biggsii albotignula (van Eecke, 1914) (Simalur)
• Miletus biggsii natunensis (Fruhstorfer, 1916) (Natuna Islands)
• Miletus biggsii niasicus (Fruhstorfer, 1913) (Nias Island, Batu Island)

See also

• Lycaenidae
• List of butterflies of India
• List of butterflies of India (Lycaenidae)

Notes

1. Page on Marrku Savela's site for genus Miletus (Lycaenidae).
2. Card for species biggsii in LepIndex. Accessed 5 December 2006.
3. Evans,W.H.(1932) The Identification of Indian Butterflies, ser no H5.5, pg 211.
4. Wynter-Blyth, M.A. (1957) Butterflies of the Indian Region, pg 254.

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 5 December 2006].
• Evans, W.H. (1932) The Identification of Indian Butterflies. (2nd Ed), Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India.
• Marrku Savela's Website on Lepidoptera .
• Wynter-Blyth, M.A. (1957) Butterflies of the Indian Region, Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India.

Print

• Evans, W.H. (1932) The Identification of Indian Butterflies. 2nd Ed, (i to x, pp454, 9 figs, Plates I to XXXII), Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India.
• Wynter-Blyth, M.A. (1957) Butterflies of the Indian Region, Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India.

Online

• Beccaloni, G. W., Scoble, M. J., Robinson, G. S. & Pitkin, B. (Editors). 2003. The Global Lepidoptera Names Index (LepIndex). World Wide Web electronic publication. (accessed 26 September 2007).
• Savela, Marrku Website on Lepidoptera (accessed 26 September 2007)