List of butterflies of the Western Ghats

This is a list of butterfly species found in the Western Ghats region. This region is a biodiversity hotspot and about 334 species of butterflies have been recorded.

  • Papilionidae—swallowtail butterflies (19 species)
  • Pieridae—yellow-white butterflies (34 species)
  • Nymphalidae—brush-footed butterflies (97 species)
  • Riodinidae—metalmark butterflies (1 species)
  • Lycaenidae—blues, hairstreaks and gossamer-winged butterflies (101 species)
  • Hesperiidae—skipper butterflies (83 species)

Family Papilionidae

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Subfamily Papilioninae

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Genus Graphium (Pathysa)—swordtails and zebras

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Spot swordtail

Genus Graphium—bluebottles and jays

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Genus Atrophaneura (Pachliopta)—roses

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Crimson rose

Genus Troides—birdwings

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Genus Papilio (Chilasa)—mimes

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Genus Papilio (Papilio)—swallowtails

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Family Pieridae

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Subfamily Pierinae—whites

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Genus Pieris—whites

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Genus Anaphaeis—pioneers

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Pioneer (caper white)

Genus Cepora—gulls

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Genus Ixias—Indian orange tips

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Yellow orange tip

Genus Delias—Jezebels

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Common Jezebel

Genus Prioneris—sawtooths

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Genus Appias—puffins and albatrosses

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Genus Leptosia—Psyche

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Genus Hebomoia—great orange tip

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Genus Colotis—Arabs

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Crimson-tip

Genus Pareronia—wanderers

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Subfamily Coliadinae—yellows

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Mottled emigrant

Genus Catopsilia—emigrants

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Common grass yellow

Genus Eurema—grass yellows

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Genus Colias—clouded yellows

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Family Nymphalidae

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Subfamily Libytheinae

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Genus Libythea—beaks

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Subfamily Danainae

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Blue tiger
 
Plain tiger

Genus Parantica—glassy tigers

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Genus Tirumala—blue tigers

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Genus Danaus—tigers

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Genus Euploea—crows

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Genus Idea—tree nymphs

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Subfamily Charaxinae

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Genus Charaxes—rajahs

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Genus Polyura—nawabs

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Common nawab

Subfamily Morphinae

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Genus Discophora—duffers

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Genus Amathusia—palmking

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  • Palmking, Amathusia phidippus Linnaeus, 1763

Subfamily Satyrinae

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Whitebar bushbrown
 
Lethe europa
 
Common evening brown
 
Common palmfly

Genus Mycalesis—bushbrowns

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Genus Lethe—treebrowns

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Genus Ypthima—rings

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Genus Zipaetis—catseyes

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Genus Orsotriaena—nigger

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  • Nigger, Orsotriaena medus (Fabricius, 1775)

Genus Melanitis—evening browns

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Genus Parantirrhoea—Travancore evening brown

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Genus Elymnias—palmflies

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Subfamily Heliconiinae

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Rustic
 
Leopard

Genus Vindula—cruiser

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  • Cruiser, Vindula erota Fabricius, 1793

Genus Cirrochroa—yeomen

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Genus Cupha—rustic

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  • Rustic, Cupha erymanthis (Drury, 1773)

Genus Phalanta—leopards

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Genus Argynnis—fritillaries

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Genus Cethosia—lacewings

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Subfamily Acraeinae

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Genus Acraea—tawny coster

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Tawny coster

Subfamily Limenitidinae

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Genus Limenitis—admirals

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Genus Athyma—sergeants

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Colour sergeant (Athyma nefte)

Genus Pantoporia—lascars

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Genus Neptis—sailers

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Neptis hylas
 
Pantoporia hordonia

Genus Parthenos—clipper

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  • Clipper, Parthenos sylvia (Cramer, 1775)

Genus Euthalia—barons

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Genus Tanaecia—counts

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Genus Dophla—dukes

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Subfamily Cyrestinae

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Genus Cyrestis—map butterflies

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Subfamily Biblidinae

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Genus Ariadne—castors

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Genus Byblia—joker

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  • Joker, Byblia ilithyia (Drury, 1773)

Subfamily Apaturinae

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Painted courtesan, Euripus consimilis

Genus Rohana

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Genus Euripus—courtesans

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Subfamily Nymphalinae

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Peacock pansy
 
Blue pansy

Genus Vanessa—admirals, painted lady

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Genus Kaniska

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Genus Junonia—pansies

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Genus Hypolimnas—eggflies

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Genus Kallima—oakleafs

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Genus Doleschallia—autumn leaf

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  • Autumn leaf, Doleschallia bisaltide malabarica (Cramer, 1777)

Family Riodinidae

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Subfamily Nemeobiinae

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Genus Abisara—Judies

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Family Lycaenidae

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Subfamily Curetinae

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Genus Curetis—sunbeams

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Subfamily Miletinae

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Genus Logania—mottles

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  • Mottle, Logania distanti Semper, 1889.

Genus Spalgis—apefly

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  • Apefly, Spalgis epius (Westwood, 1851) (L6.1)

Subfamily Polyommatinae

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Genus Talicada—red Pierrot

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Genus Castalius—common Pierrot

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  • Common Pierrot, Castalius rosimon Fabricius, 1775. (L9.1)
  • Dark Pierrot, Castalius ananda de Nicéville, 1884 previously Tarucus ananda de Nicéville (L10.1)

Genus Caleta—angled Pierrot

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  • Angled Pierrot, Caleta caleta Hewitson, 1876 earlier Castalius caleta Moore (L9.2)

Genus Discolampa—banded blue Pierrot

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  • Banded blue Pierrot, Discolampa ethion Westwood, 1851 earlier Castalius ethion Doubleday & Hewitson (L9.3)

Genus Tarucus—blue Pierrots

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Genus Syntarucus—zebra blue

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  • Zebra blue, Syntarucus plinius (Fabricius, 1793) (L11.1) (synonyms Leptotus plinius, Tarucus plinius)

Genus Azanus—babul blues

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Genus Neopithecops—Quaker

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  • Quaker, Neopithecops zalmora Butler 1870 (L15.1)

Genus Megisba—Malayan

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  • Malayan, Megisba malaya (Horsfield, 1828) (H20.1, p. 220)

Genus Celastrina—hedge blues

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  • Plain hedge blue, Celastrina lavendularis (Moore, 1877) previously Lycaenopsis lavendularis Moore (L19.15)

Genus Acytolepis—hedge blues

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  • Common hedge blue, Acytolepis puspa (Horsfield, 1828) previously Lycaenopsis puspa (Toxopeus) (L19.1)
  • Hampson's hedge blue, Acytolepis lilacea (Hampson, 1889) previously Lycaenopsis lilacea Hampson (L19.2)

Genus Akasinula—white hedge blue

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Genus Cyaniris—hedge blues

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Genus Polyommatus—meadow blues

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Genus Chilades—lime blue

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  • Lime blue, Chilades lajus (Stoll, [1780]) (L21.1)
  • Indian Cupid, Chilades parrhasius (Fabricius, 1793) previously Everes parrhasius Fabricius (L16.4)

Genus Luthrodes—Cupids

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  • Small Cupid, Luthrodes contracta (Butler, 1880) previously Euchrysops contracta Butler (L23.2)?
  • Plains Cupid, Luthrodes pandava (Horsfield, 1829) previously Euchrysops pandava Horsfield (L23.3)

Genus Zizeeria—grass blues

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Genus Pseudozizeeria—pale grass blue

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Genus Zizula—tiny grass blue

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  • Tiny grass blue, Zizula gaika (Trimen, 1862) synonym Zizula hylax (Fabricius 1775) (now suppressed) (L22.4)

Genus Freyeria—grass jewel

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  • Grass jewel, Freyeria trochylus (Freyer, 1845) previously Zizeeria trochilus Freyer (L22.1)

Genus Euchrysops—gram blues

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  • Gram blue, Euchrysops cnejus (Fabricius, 1798) (L23.1)

Genus Anthene—ciliate blues

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Genus Catachrysops—forget-me-nots

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Genus Lampides—ceruleans and the peablue

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  • Peablue, Lampides boeticus (Linnaeus, 1767) (L26.1)

Genus Jamides—ceruleans

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Genus Nacaduba—lineblues

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Genus Prosotas—lineblues

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  • Common Lineblue, Prosotas nora (Felder, 1860) previously Nacaduba nora Felder (L30.13)
  • Tailless lineblue, Prosotas dubiosa (Semper, 1879) previously Nacaduba dubiosa Evans (L30.14)
  • White-tipped lineblue, Prosotas noreia (Felder, 1868) previously Nacaduba noreia Felder (L30.15)

Genus Petrelea—dingy lineblue

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  • Dingy lineblue, Petrelea dana (De Nicéville, 1884) previously Nacaduba dana de Nicéville (L30.16)

Subfamily Theclinae

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Genus Iraota—silverstreak blues

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Genus Horsfieldia—leaf blue

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Genus Thaduka—many-tailed oak-blue

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Genus Arhopala—oakblues

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Genus Nilasera—oakblues

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  • Centaur oakblue, Nilasera centaurus (Fabricius, 1775) previously Amblypodia centaurus Moore (L45.16)

Genus Panchala—oakblues

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  • Rosy oakblue, Panchala alea (Hewitson, 1862) previously Amblypodia alea Hewitson (L45.11)

Genus Narathura—Tamil oakblue

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  • Tamil oakblue, Narathura bazaloides (Hewitson, 1878) previously Amblypodia bazaloides Hewitson (L45.23)

Genus Surendra—acacia blue

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Genus Zinaspa—silver streaked acacia blue

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Genus Loxura—yamfly

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  • Yamfly, Loxura atymnus (Cramer, 1782) (L48.1)

Genus Zesius—redspot

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Genus Pratapa—tufted royals

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Genus Ancema—royals

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Genus Creon—broadtail royal

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Genus Tajuria—royals

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Genus Ops—branded royal

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  • Branded royal, Ops melastigma (De Nicéville, 1887) previously Tajuria melastigma de Nicéville (L55.4)

Genus Charana—mandarin blues

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Genus Cheritra—common imperial

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Genus Rathinda—monkeypuzzle

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Genus Horaga—onyxs

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Genus Catapaecilma—common tinsel

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Genus Chliaria—tits

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  • Orchid tit, Chliaria othona (Hewitson, 1865) (L66.1)
  • Nilgiri tit, Chliaria nilgirica (Moore, 1883) previously Hypolycaena nilgirica Moore (L67.1)

Genus Zeltus—fluffy tit

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Genus Deudorix—cornelians

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Genus Virachola—guava blues

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Genus Rapala—flashes

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Genus Vadebra—Malabar flash

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Genus Bindahara—plane

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  • Plane, Bindahara phocides (Fabricius, 1793) (L74.1)

Subfamily Aphnaeinae

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Genus Cigaritis—silverlines

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Family Hesperiidae

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Subfamily Coeliadinae

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Genus Badamia—brown awl

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  • Brown awl, Badamia exclamationis (Fabricius, 1775)

Genus Bibasis—orange tailed awl

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Genus Choaspes—awlkings

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Genus Hasora—awls

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Subfamily Hesperiinae

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Genus Aeromachus—scrub hoppers

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Genus Ampittia—bush hoppers

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Genus Arnetta—bobs

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Genus Baoris—swifts

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Genus Baracus—hedge hoppers

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Genus Pseudoborbo—Bevan's swift

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Genus Borbo—swifts

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Genus Caltoris—swifts

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Genus Cupitha—wax dart

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Genus Erionota—palm redeye

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Genus Gangara—giant redeye

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Giant redeye, Gangara thyrsis

Genus Gegenes

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Genus Halpe—aces

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Genus Matapa—branded redeye

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Genus Notocrypta—demons

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Restricted demon

Genus Parnara

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Genus Pelopidas—branded swifts

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Genus Polytremis

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Genus Potanthus—darts

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Genus Psolos—coon

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  • Coon, Psolos fuligo (Mabille, 1876)

Genus Quedara

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Genus Salanoemia—lancer

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Genus Sovia

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Genus Suastus—palm bob

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Genus Taractrocera—grass darts

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Genus Telicota—palm darts

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Genus Cephrenes

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Genus Thoressa—aces

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Genus Udaspes—grass demon

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Grass demon

Genus Hyarotis—flitters

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Genus Oriens—dartlets

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Subfamily Pyrginae

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Genus Caprona —angles

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Genus Celaenorrhinus—flat

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Genus Coladenia—pied flats

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Genus Gerosis—white flat

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Genus Gomalia

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Genus Odontoptilum—angles

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Genus Sarangesa—small flats

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Genus Spialia —grizzled skippers

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Genus Tagiades—snow flats

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Immaculate/large/suffused snow flat, Tagiades gana

Genus Tapena—angles

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See also

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Notes

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References

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  • Kunte, K. (In press.) Checklist of the Butterflies of the Western Ghats, Southwestern India. In K. A. Subramanian (ed.) Diversity and Conservation of Invertebrates in the Western Ghats.
  • Evans, W.H. (1932). The Identification of Indian Butterflies (2nd ed.). Mumbai, India: Bombay Natural History Society.
  • Wynter-Blyth, Mark Alexander (1957). Butterflies of the Indian Region. Bombay, India: Bombay Natural History Society. ISBN 978-8170192329.
  • Gaonkar, Harish (1996). Butterflies of the Western Ghats, India (including Sri Lanka) - A Biodiversity Assessment of a Threatened Mountain System. Bangalore, India: Centre for Ecological Sciences.
  • Larsen, T. B. 1987–88. The butterflies of the Nilgiri Mountains of southern India (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, vol 84 & 85.
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