Poritia phalena, the broad-banded brilliant,[1] is a small butterfly found in India[2] and South-East Asia[3] that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family. The species was first described by William Chapman Hewitson in 1874.
| Broad-banded brilliant | |
|---|---|
| |
| Simiskina phalena hayashii | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Poritia |
| Species: | P. phalena
|
| Binomial name | |
| Poritia phalena (Hewitson, 1874)
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Simiskina phalena (Hewitson, 1874) | |
Range edit
It occurs in South Asia from Assam in India to southern Myanmar.[2][4] As per Markku Savela, the butterfly ranges from Assam, Myanmar, Peninsular Malaya, Java, Nias, Borneo and Thailand.[3]
Status edit
Description edit
It is a small butterfly with a 28 to 34 mm wingspan. The male is black above with brilliant greenish-blue streaks and spots, while the female is dark brown above with a white circular spot in the discal region of the forewing. Below, there are no bands of linked spots.[4]
Taxonomy edit
The butterfly was earlier[2] and continues[3] to be classified by some authorities as Simiskina phalena (Hewitson, 1874). The subspecies that occur in South Asia are:[2]
- P. p. harterti Doherty 1889 – Assam to southern Myanmar, very rare[2]
- P. p. hayashii (Schröder & Treadaway, 1979)
- P. p. howarthi (H. Hayashi, 1976)
- P. p. ilagana Osada & Hashimoto, [1987]
- P. p. javanica Fruhstorfer – Java[3]
- P. p. niasina Fruhstorfer – Nias[3]
See also edit
Cited references edit
- ^ Beccaloni, G.; Scoble, M.; Kitching, I.; Simonsen, T.; Robinson, G.; Pitkin, B.; Hine, A.; Lyal, C., eds. (2003). "Poritia phalena". The Global Lepidoptera Names Index. Natural History Museum. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f Evans, W. H. (1932). The Identification of Indian Butterflies (2nd ed.). Mumbai, India: Bombay Natural History Society. p. 209, ser no H3.1.
- ^ a b c d e Savela, Markku (26 August 2016). "Simiskina phalena (Hewitson, 1874)". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
- ^ a b c Wynter-Blyth, Mark Alexander (1957). Butterflies of the Indian Region. Bombay, India: Bombay Natural History Society. p. 253. ISBN 978-8170192329.
References edit
- Haribal, Meena (1992). The Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya and Their Natural History. Gangtok, Sikkim, India: Sikkim Nature Conservation Foundation.
External links edit
- Takanami, Yusuke & Seki, Yasuo (2001). "Genus Simiskina". A Synonymic List of Lycaenidae from the Philippines. Archived from the original on 8 July 2001 – via Internet Archive. With images.