Pseudophilotes vicrama

Eastern baton blue
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Pseudophilotes
Species: P. vicrama
Binomial name
Pseudophilotes vicrama
(Moore 1865)
Synonyms
  • Polyommatus vicrama Moore, 1865
  • Turana baton anteschiffermulleri Verity, 1936
  • Lycaena baton var. clara Christoph, 1887

The eastern baton blue (Pseudophilotes vicrama)[1] is a small butterfly found from Asia,[2][3] east to Tian Shan and parts of China, west to the Balkan, Turkey, eastern Europe to southern Finland. It belongs to the Lycaenids or blues family.

Taxonomy

The butterfly was earlier known as Polyommatus vicrama (Staudinger).[2]

Range

In Asia, it is found in South Asia from India (Himachal Pradesh) westwards to Balochistan and Chitral in Pakistan.[2]

Underside

Wynter-Blyth records the eastern baton blue as not rare locally and occurring in Baluchistan and from Chitral to Shipki La.[4]

As per Savela, the butterfly is found in the Pamirs - Alay Mountains, Ghissar - Darvaz, Tian-Shan, north-west India south-eastEurope, Asia Minor, Caucasus, Transcaucasia, western Siberia, Altai, Turan and Kopet-Dagh.[3]

Description

The eastern baton blue is 20 to 26 mm in size. The male butterfly is pale dusky-blue in colour with a broad border while the female is brown. The butterfly is named for its prominent chequered fringe.[4]

Subspecies

See also

Cited references

  1. Card for species vicrama in LepIndex. Accessed 14 October 2006.
  2. 1 2 3 Evans,W.H.(1932) The Identification of Indian Butterflies, ser no H22.2, pg 225.
  3. 1 2 Page on Marrku Savela's site for genus Pseudophilotes (Lycaenidae).
  4. 1 2 Wynter-Blyth, M.A. (1957) Butterflies of the Indian Region, pg 281.

References


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