Polyommatus dux
| Polyommatus dux | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Polyommatus |
| Species: | P. dux
|
| Binomial name | |
| Polyommatus dux Riley, 1926
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Polyommatus eros dux Evans, 1932 | |
Polyommatus dux, also known as the Kumaon meadow blue is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Uttarakhand. It was described by Norman Denbigh Riley in 1926. This species is monotypic.[1]
Description
Male
The upperside is bluish in color with margins having a thread-like black line. The forewings are somewhat greyish, especially near the tornus. The hindwings are narrowly black about apex.[2]
The underside forewing is greyish with a marginal line and a large irregular spot at the cell-end. There is also a series of 6 white spots which are dark-pupiled. The hindwing is brassy green, and the margin is tinged with ochreous and has a greyish colour similar to the forewing.[2]
Female
The upperside is considerably different from that of the male, it is blackish and has basal blue scaling. The forewing and hindwing are similar to the male.[2]
The underside forewing is differentiated from the male by being much darker brown, having less prominent discal spots and having less prominent veins. The hindwing is more brassy green than the male.[2] The submarginal spots are obsolete in the male and red in the female.[3]
The wingspan of this species is 15 millimeters (0.6 inches) for males and 14 millimeters (0.55 inches) for females.[2][4]
Distribution
This species is only known from a very restricted range in north Kumaon. Its distribution extends roughly from the village of Milam to Rilkot. 22 male and female specimens were collected from Milam and Burphu in 1924 by H. G. Champion and they are now kept in the British Museum.[2]
A record of this species from 2011 in Sikkim was published, but it is considered doubtful as insufficient evidence has been provided for the identification of the species.
Food plants
This species has been recorded nectaring on Malva pusilla.[4]
References
- ^ "Polyommatus". www.nic.funet.fi. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
- ^ a b c d e f Walker J. J. (1926). The Entomologists Monthly Magazine Vol Lxii (1926). Nathaniel Lloyd and Co. Ltd., London.
- ^ Sondhi, Sanjay; Kunte, Krushnamegh (2019). Butterflies of Uttarakhand: A Field Guide. ISBN 9788121109185.
- ^ a b Zoological Survey of India; Das, G.N.; Gayen, S.; Zoological Survey of India; Sanyal, A.K.; Zoological Survey of India; Kumar, V.; Zoological Survey of India; Bálint, Zs.; Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum (2019). "The lesser-known Kumaon Meadow Blue Polyommatus dux Riley, 1926 (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Polyommatinae: Polyommatini) from Uttarakhand, Western Himalaya" (PDF). Caucasian Entomological Bulletin. 15 (2): 375–380. doi:10.23885/181433262019152-375380.
External links
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363055240_Polyommatus_dux_in_Sikkim_Himalaya (PDF) Polyommatus dux in Sikkim Himalaya