Celastrina lavendularis
Encyclopedia
The Plain Hedge Blue is a small butterfly
found in Sri Lanka
that belongs to the Lycaenids or Blues
family.
Female upperside, fore wing: bluish purple, paler outwardly, in certain lights with a resplendent iridescence; costa and apex very broadly, termen somewhat more narrowly fuscous black. Hindwing: as in the fore wing iridescent bluish purple but uniform, not paler outwardly; the costal and terminal margins broadly and evenly fuscous black, this border on the termen with a series of superposed blue lunules. Underside: ground-colour and markings as in the male. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen similar to those of the male but the thorax and abdomen above not so dark.
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Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
found in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
that belongs to the Lycaenids or Blues
Lycaenidae
The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies...
family.
Description
Male upperside: uniform dark purplish-blue. Fore and hind wings: termen narrowly edged with black; costal margin of hind wing more broadly fuscous black. Underside: white with a light greyish-blue tint; markings for the most part pale brown, disposed much as in G. puspa, smaller, more slender; the transverse discal series of abbreviated lines or elongate spots on the fore wing more regular, the spots more evenly en echelon, the spot nearest the costa small and shifted well inwards. Hind wing: the black subcostal spot in the middle of interspace 7 subequal, not larger than the three subbasal spots ; the posterior discal series of spots bisinuous, none conspicuously larger than the others. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen fuscous black, the antennae ringed with white, the head and thorax clothed above with long bluish hairs; beneath: the palpi, thorax and abdomen greyish white.Female upperside, fore wing: bluish purple, paler outwardly, in certain lights with a resplendent iridescence; costa and apex very broadly, termen somewhat more narrowly fuscous black. Hindwing: as in the fore wing iridescent bluish purple but uniform, not paler outwardly; the costal and terminal margins broadly and evenly fuscous black, this border on the termen with a series of superposed blue lunules. Underside: ground-colour and markings as in the male. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen similar to those of the male but the thorax and abdomen above not so dark.
Taxonomy
The butterfly was earlier known as Lycaenopsis lavendularis MooreFrederic Moore
Frederic Moore FZS was a British entomologist. It has been said that Moore was born at 33 Bruton Street but may be incorrect given that this was the address of the menagerie and office of the Zoological Society of London from 1826 to 1836.Moore was appointed an assistant in the East India Company...
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See also
- LycaenidaeLycaenidaeThe Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies...
- List of butterflies of India
- List of butterflies of India (Lycaenidae)
External links
- Asahi Correctly determined photos of C.lavendularis from the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...