Pratapa icetoides explained
Pratapa icetoides, the blue royal,[1] is a species of blue butterfly (Lycaenidae) found in the Indomalayan realm.
Range
The butterfly occurs in India from Assam, the Khasi Hills, eastwards and across to north and south Myanmar, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Java, Borneo, Sumatra, Sulawesi and Nias.[2] [3]
Subspecies
- P. i. icetoides North India, Burma, North Thailand, Assam, Burma
- P. i. cretheus (de Nicéville, 1895) Sumatra, W.Java
- P. i. carmentalis (de Nicéville, [1893]) Khasia Hills
- P. i. yasa (Fruhstorfer, 1912) Nias
- P. i. ecphanathus (Fruhstorfer, 1912) East Java
- P. i. calculis Druce, 1895 South Thailand, Peninsular Malaya, Singapore, Borneo
- P. i. marikit Schröder & Treadaway, 1986 Philippines, Palawan
Taxonomy
The butterfly was previously classified as Camena icetoides and Ancema icetoides.[4]
Status
William Harry Evans in 1932[3] and Mark Alexander Wynter-Blyth in 1957 both describe the species as not being rare.[5]
Description
The butterfly has a wingspan of 30 to 32 mm.
The male white-banded royal above is a shining bright blue up to base of 4 in the forewing. On the hindwing is a mid-costal white patch. The male has a large but inconspicuous brand on the upperside of the hindwing. The female is a pale dull powdery blue with a broad black border on both wings. The underside is pale brown with no bars end cell. The forewing has an outwardly white-edged discal line curved inwards.[6]
See also
Cited references
- Yutaka Inayoshi, A Check List of Butterflies in Indo-China, page on Pratapa icetoides.
- Markku Savela's website on Lepidoptera Page on genus Pratapa
- Book: Evans . William Harry Evans
. W.H. . William Harry Evans . The Identification of Indian Butterflies . 2nd . Mumbai, India . . 1932 . 281, ser no H59.8 .
- Retrieved April 23, 2018.
- Book: Wynter-Blyth, Mark Alexander . Mark Alexander Wynter-Blyth
. Mark Alexander Wynter-Blyth . Butterflies of the Indian Region . 1957 . Bombay, India . . 978-8170192329 . 340 .
- Book: Haribal, Meena . The Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya and Their Natural History . Gangtok, Sikkim, India . Sikkim Nature Conservation Foundation . 1992 . 106 .
References
- Web site: The Global Lepidoptera Names Index (LepIndex) . Beccaloni . George . Scoble . Malcolm . Kitching . Ian . Simonsen . Thomas . Robinson . Gaden . Pitkin . Brian . Hine . Adrian . Lyal . Chris . Natural History Museum, London . 2016-10-15 .
- Book: Evans . William Harry Evans
. W.H. . William Harry Evans . The Identification of Indian Butterflies . 2nd . Mumbai, India . . 1932 .
- Book: Haribal, Meena . The Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya and Their Natural History . Gangtok, Sikkim, India . Sikkim Nature Conservation Foundation . 1992 .
- Web site: Markku Savela's website on Lepidoptera .
- Book: Wynter-Blyth, Mark Alexander . Mark Alexander Wynter-Blyth
. Mark Alexander Wynter-Blyth . Butterflies of the Indian Region . 1957 . Bombay, India . . 978-8170192329 .
- Yutaka Inayoshi, A Check List of Butterflies in Indo-China, page on Family Lycaenidae (accessed 7 August 2007).
