Arhopala bazalus

Powdered oakblue
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Arhopala
Species:	A. bazalus
Binomial name
Arhopala bazalus (Hewitson, 1852)
Synonyms
Amblypodia bazalusHewitson, 1862 Narathura bazalus(Hewitson, 1862)

Arhopala bazalus, the powdered oakblue, is a lycaenid or blue butterfly first described by William Chapman Hewitson in 1852. ^[1] It is found in Myanmar, mainland China, India (Assam, kerala and Sikkim), Indochina, Japan, the Philippines, and Taiwan.

Description

The male is almost without any blue lustre; both wings are of a dull dark brown colour, only in a certain light the upper surface exhibits a feebly bluish, somewhat silvery reflection. In the female we notice a deep violettish-blue spot in the basal portions of the wings. ^[2]

Subspecies

• A. b. bazalus Java, Sumatra
• A. b. turbata (Butler, 1881) Taiwan, Japan intensely deep blackish purple, border varying width.
• A. b. teesta (de Nicéville, 1886) Sikkim - W.China, Burma, Mergui, Thailand
• A. b. nebenius Fruhstorfer, 1914 Northeast Sumatra - male above similar to pratinas, mostly larger and with more blue on the upper surface; beneath less purple grey colouring.
• A. b. pratinas Fruhstorfer, 1914 West Java - smaller than the nominate, A above with a very deep dark blue gloss from which the black marginal band contrasts so little that it can only be noticed when looked upon from the side; this marginal band is much narrower. Beneath the bands of the forewing are more distinct, the bands of the hindwing broader and more coherent.
• A. b. zalinda Corbet, 1941 Peninsular Malaya, Thailand -male deep purple, female shining blue
• A. b. asagiae (Hayashi, 1978) Philippines (Mindanao)

• In Tokyo, Japan
• 
  Underside of a male in Japan
• 
  Topside of subspecies A. b. turbata in Taiwan

References

1. Savela, Markku, ed. (December 25, 2018). "Arhopala bazalus (Hewitson, 1862)". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
2. Seitz , A. Band 9: Abt. 2, Die exotischen Großschmetterlinge, Die indo-australischen Tagfalter, 1927, 1197 Seiten 177 Tafeln This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .

External links

• Takanami, Yusuke & Seki, Yasuo (2001). "Genus Arhopala (Plate D)". A Synonymic List of Lycaenidae from the Philippines. Archived from the original on October 6, 2001 – via Internet Archive. With images.