Poritia hewitsoni
Template:Short description Template:Speciesbox
Poritia hewitsoni, the common gem, is a small butterfly found in India, Myanmar,[1] Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam[2] that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family.
Range
It ranges along the Himalayas from Kumaon to Assam in India and onto Myanmar.[1] Recorded from Mangan and Rangpo in Sikkim.[3][4]
Description
It is a small butterfly with a 31 to 38 mm wingspan. Male upper: dark iridescent blue, usually with submarginal and apical spots. The cell on upperside forewing is entirely devoid of blue or with a minute blue spot at the base in some cases. Males also have a tufted brand on the upper hindwing above vein 7. The underside is brown with variable pale lineation. Females: brown above, with a few blue spots. The upper forewing has a yellow discal patch above a blue area.[3][4]
Taxonomy
The butterfly has five subspecies in South Asia:[1]-
- P. hewitsoni hewitsoni Moore, 1865 - Kumaon to Assam and not rare as per Evans,[1] Sikkim to northern Myanmar and northern Thailand[2]
- P. hewitsoni tavoyana Doherty 1889 - Myanmar, not rare[1] Manipur, southern Burma, Thailand, Peninsular Malaya[2]
- P. hewitsoni taleva Corbet, 1940 - Peninsular Malaya[2]
- P. hewitsoni ampsaga Fruhstorfer, 1912 - Vietnam[2]
Habits
The common gem is found flying high in the lowland jungles. The males tend to fly rapidly and settle on leaves.[3] It occurs in Sikkim in October and November. The tufted brand on the male hindwing has a discernible, distinct odour.[4]
Egg
- The egg is truncate, half as long as wide, and with two vertical and sloping and two horizontal faces.[3]
See also
Cited references
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
References
Template:Sister project Print
- Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Online
- Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".