Horaga onyx explained

Horaga onyx, the common onyx, is a species of lycaenid or blue butterfly found in the Indomalayan realm.[1] [2]

Range

The butterfly is mostly seen in India (Western Ghats, Maharashtra southwards, Himachal Pradesh to Arunachal Pradesh) and also in Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.[1] [2] [3] It is also Peninsular Malaya,Borneo, Singapore, Langkawi, Java, Sumatra, Bangka Hong Kong and the Philippines.

Status

Locally common.[3]

Larvae food plants

Coriaria nepalensis (Coriariaceae).[3]

Mangifera indica

Description

The butterfly has a wingspan of 27 to 33 mm. Upperside: for both sexes, blue with broad black apex, termen and costa. Underside: the butterfly has dark yellowish or greenish brown with irregular and variable broad white discal band across their wings. Underside forewing: the male has a well defined brand along basal half of vein 1. Underside hindwing: well defined white band.[3]

Subspecies

Nine are recognized https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Horaga_onyx

Habit and habitat

Found on thick hilly forests, never found on plains. Their flight is weak, prefers not to come out in the open, but does bask on leaves. In the north it flies up to 2,000 m on the hills when it is on the wing from March to May and in September to October.[3]

See also

Cited references

  1. Book: A Synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India . Varshney . R.K. . Smetacek. Peter. Butterfly Research Centre, Bhimtal & Indinov Publishing, New Delhi. 2015. 978-81-929826-4-9. New Delhi. 112. 10.13140/RG.2.1.3966.2164.
  2. Web site: Savela . Markku . Horaga onyx (Moore, [1858]) ]. Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms . July 2, 2018.
  3. Isaac Kehimkar (2008) The Book of Indian Butterflies Bombay Natural History Society, Oxford University press, Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta, Chennai

References