Nacaduba pavana
Encyclopedia
The Small Four-line Blue Nacaduba pavana is a species of lycaenid
butterfly found in Southeast Asia
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Male upperside: purple with a frosted silvery-blue sheen very much as in N. macrophthalma. Fore wing : a slender black anticiliary line. Hind wing: costal and dorsal margins somewhat broadly dull brown, an anticiliary black line as on the fore wing; the subterminal black spots in interspaces 1 and 2 of the underside apparent in most specimens by transparency. Underside: groundcolour and markings similar to those of N. macrophthalma but far more slender and more neatly defined. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen as in N. macrophthalma.
Female upperside, fore wing: costa broadly, apex and termen still more broadly brown; a narrow edging of pale brown along the dorsal margin ; rest of the wing grey, shot with iridescent blue in certain lights. Hind wing: pale brown, much paler than the brown on the fore wing; base very obscurely shot with iridescent blue ; costal and dorsal margins brownish white; a transverse subterminal series of black spots edged inwardly and outwardly with slender white lines, two minute spots in interspace 1 geminate, that in interspace 2 large, these three crowned inwardly beyond the white edging with an additional dusky spot. Underside: very similar to that of the male, ground-colour paler, transverse white strigae broader. Both male and female have the basal area of the fore wing within the transverse white strigss lining the inner side of the discocellulars immaculate, as in N. macrophthalma and N. kerriana.
As per Savela the butterfly ranges from Tibet, India - Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Langkawi, Sumatra, Philippines (Mindanao) and Sulawesi.
It was earlier considered a separate species.
Lycaenidae
The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies...
butterfly found in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
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Description
- See glossaryGlossary of Lepidopteran termsThis glossary describes the terms used in the formal descriptions of insect species, jargon used mostly by professionals or entomologist....
for terms used
Male upperside: purple with a frosted silvery-blue sheen very much as in N. macrophthalma. Fore wing : a slender black anticiliary line. Hind wing: costal and dorsal margins somewhat broadly dull brown, an anticiliary black line as on the fore wing; the subterminal black spots in interspaces 1 and 2 of the underside apparent in most specimens by transparency. Underside: groundcolour and markings similar to those of N. macrophthalma but far more slender and more neatly defined. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen as in N. macrophthalma.
Female upperside, fore wing: costa broadly, apex and termen still more broadly brown; a narrow edging of pale brown along the dorsal margin ; rest of the wing grey, shot with iridescent blue in certain lights. Hind wing: pale brown, much paler than the brown on the fore wing; base very obscurely shot with iridescent blue ; costal and dorsal margins brownish white; a transverse subterminal series of black spots edged inwardly and outwardly with slender white lines, two minute spots in interspace 1 geminate, that in interspace 2 large, these three crowned inwardly beyond the white edging with an additional dusky spot. Underside: very similar to that of the male, ground-colour paler, transverse white strigae broader. Both male and female have the basal area of the fore wing within the transverse white strigss lining the inner side of the discocellulars immaculate, as in N. macrophthalma and N. kerriana.
Distribution
Bingham (1907) reports the butterfly from Sikkim; Bhutan; Assam; Cachar; Burma; Tenasserim; the Andamans. Described originally from Java.As per Savela the butterfly ranges from Tibet, India - Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Langkawi, Sumatra, Philippines (Mindanao) and Sulawesi.
Taxonomy
The butterfly has five subspecies:- Nacaduba pavana pavana
- Nacaduba pavana singapura
- Nacaduba pavana vajuva
- Nacaduba pavana georgi
- Nacaduba pavana visuna
The Violet Four-line Blue (Nacaduba pavana vajuva)
The subspecies Nacaduba pavana vajuva Frühstorfer 1916, which is known as the Violet Four-line Blue, occurs in India, Myanmar and Thailand.It was earlier considered a separate species.
External links
- Asahi Correctly determined photos of N. pavana from the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...