Halpe zema explained

Halpe zema, the zema banded ace, is a species of skipper, a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae. It is native to Nepal, India, and Myanmar.

Taxonomy

The species was first described by William Chapman Hewitson in 1877.[1] [2]

The subspecies of Halpe zema found in India is:[3]

Description

The wingspan of Halpe zema reaches NaNmm.[4]

Edward Yerbury Watson in his 1891 Hesperiidae Indica described the butterfly as:

Distribution and habitat

The zema banded ace is distributed from Nepal to Arunachal Pradesh, north-east India, and Myanmar. It is also found in Sikkim,[1] West Bengal, Assam and the northern part of Myanmar.[4]

It is common except during the cold winter months. March to November is their approximate flight period.[4] It is mostly found in the high hilly forest that receives heavy rainfall annually. The flight of this species is very strong and rapid with very wary movement. Males are sometimes spotted near the hill streams or wet rock. Females are rarely seen.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Watson . E. Y. . Hesperiidae Indica: Being a Reprint of Descriptions of the Hesperiidae of India, Burma and Ceylon . 1891 . Vest and Company . Madras . 74.
  2. Web site: Halpe zema Hewitson, 1877 . 2020-08-21 . Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
  3. Web site: Halpe zema (Hewitson, 1877) – Zema Banded Ace . Butterflies of India . 18 August 2020.
  4. Book: Isaac . Kehimkar . The Book of Indian Butterflies . 2008 . Oxford University Press . New Delhi . 99 . 1st . 978-019569620-2.
  5. Book: Kunte . Krushnamegh . Butterflies of The Garo Hills . 2013 . Samrakshan Trust, Titli Trust and Indian Foundation of Butterflies . Dehradun . 5.