Dacalana cotys

Dacalana cotys, the white-banded royal [1] is a species of blue butterfly (Lycaenidae) found in South East Asia.

White-banded royal
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Lycaenidae
Genus:
Dacalana
Species:
D. cotys
Binomial name
Dacalana cotys
(Hewitson, 1865)

Range

The butterfly occurs in India from Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh.[2] eastwards and across to northern Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar.[2] and Thailand.[1][3]

Taxonomy

The butterfly was previously classified as Pratapa cotys,[3] Ancema cotys[4] and Camana cotys.[5]

Status

Not common as per Wynter-Blyth.[6] Not rare as per Evans.[3]

Dacalana cotys Courvoisier Collection, Basel

Description
For a key to the terms used, see Glossary of entomology terms.

The butterfly has a wingspan of 33 to 37 mm.

The upperside of the male is a bright azure blue with a black border at the apex ranging from 0.5 to 5 mm at the apex. On the hindwing is a mid-costal white patch. The male has a brand on the upperside of the forewing. The female is paler with a prominent white patch at the end cell of the forewing.

On the underside, the butterfly has a white band on a pale-brown background which broadens towards the costa and dorsum. There is a lot of seasonal variation in the band width.[7]

Habit and habitat

It is mostly seen in wooded slopes of Himalaya. They are confined to forested area, often in the upper canopy. Males are often seen mud-puddling.[2]

See also

Cited references
  1. Markku Savela's website on Lepidoptera Page on genus Dacalana.
  2. Isaac Kehimkar (2008) The Book of Indian Butterflies Bombay Natural History Society, Oxford University press, Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta, Chennai
  3. Evans, W.H. (1932). The Identification of Indian Butterflies (2nd ed.). Mumbai, India: Bombay Natural History Society. p. 279, ser no H59.2.
  4. Beccaloni, G.; Scoble, M.; Kitching, I.; Simonsen, T.; Robinson, G.; Pitkin, B.; Hine, A.; Lyal, C., eds. (2003). "Ancema cotys". The Global Lepidoptera Names Index. Natural History Museum. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  5. Yutaka Inayoshi, A Check List of Butterflies in Indo-China, page on Dacalana cotys.
  6. Wynter-Blyth, Mark Alexander (1957). Butterflies of the Indian Region. Bombay, India: Bombay Natural History Society. p. 338. ISBN 978-8170192329.
  7. Haribal, Meena (1992). The Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya and Their Natural History. Gangtok, Sikkim, India: Sikkim Nature Conservation Foundation. p. 106.

References


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