Kallima horsfieldii | |
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Dorsal view | |
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Ventral view | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Nymphalidae |
Genus: | Kallima |
Species: | K. horsfieldii |
Binomial name | |
Kallima horsfieldii Kollar, 1844 | |
Synonyms | |
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Kallima horsfieldii, the blue oakleaf, [1] southern blue oakleaf [2] or Sahyadri blue oakleaf, [3] is a nymphalid butterfly found in India. [2] [1] The underside appears like a leaf complete with midrib while the upperside is brilliantly coloured.
Males and females indigo blue. Forewing; with a broad, oblique, slightly curved, sinuous-edged, pale blue band, turning to white on the anterior half; the distance measured on the costa of the outer edge of thin band greater than half the length of the wing from the base; its inner margin bordered by short, obliquely-placed, detached linear black markings; apical area beyond the band jet black, with a preapical whites spot; medial hyaline (glass-like) spots, the lower varying in size, in interspaces 2 and 3. Hindwing uniform, the costa and apex broadly and the abdominal fold brown; vein 1 with long soft greyish-brown hairs along its length, extending also over the abdominal fold. Forewings and hindwings as in Kallima inachus , with a dark brown subterminal zigzag line, commencing below vein 3 on the forewing. [4]
Underside as in Kallima inachus simulating a dry leaf, but the resemblance on the whole is perhaps less perfect. Antennae dark brown; head, thorax, and abdomen very dark greenish brown; beneath, the palpi, thorax, and abdomen ochraceous earthy brown. [4]
Males and females similar. Differs in the colour of the discal band on the upperside of the forewing; this is of a uniform pale blue of a slightly lighter or darker shade, varying individually, but not turning to white towards the costal margin as in the dry-season specimens. Underside: ground colour on the whole darker than in the dry-season form, but with the same protective colouring. [4] [5] Wingspan 84–120 mm.
Sri Lankan dry-season specimens range the largest, but are otherwise indistinguishable from specimens from the Nilgiris in the British Museum collection, while specimens of the small wet-season form from Sri Lanka are absolutely identical with specimens of K. wardi Moore, regarded by the author himself as the wet-season form of K. horsfieldi. Again, the type of K. alompra Moore, is now in the British Museum, and in shades of colour and in markings it is absolutely inseparable from many specimens of the wet-season form of K. horsfieldii as are also the two specimens in the Hewitsonian collection mentioned by Moore, and a specimen from; East Pegu, collected by Doherty, in the Godman-Salvin collection. [4]
Western Ghats from Mumbai southwards; Sri Lanka; Burma; Tenasserim. [4]
"Cylindrical, finely pubescent, armed with nine longitudinal rows of fine branched spines; head surmounted by two long straight horns set with minute spines; colour a beautiful golden brown, spines red, head black. We found one specimen of this in July on Karvee ( Strobilanthes )..." (Davidson & Aitken) [4] The larva feeds on plants belonging to Family Acanthaceae such as Pseuderanthemum malabaricum , Lepidagathis cuspidata , Strobilanthes callosus , Strobilanthes ciliata , Eranthemum roseum .
Earthy brown suffused with a slight pinkish tinge and variegated with patches of darker brown; thorax angulate, abdomen with apparently a linear series of short broad tubercles. (Described from the plate in the Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. Journ. x, 1896.) [4]
Ariadne merione, the common castor, is an orange butterfly with brown lines whose larvae feed almost exclusively on castor. It is similar in appearance to Ariadne ariadne, the angled castor.
Abisara echerius, the plum Judy, is a small but striking butterfly found in Asia belonging to the Punches and Judies family (Riodinidae). It is difficult to distinguish it from Abisara bifasciata.
Cepora nerissa, the common gull, is a small to medium-sized butterfly of the family Pieridae, that is, the yellows and whites, which is native to Sri Lanka, India, China, southeast Asia, and Indonesia.
Belenois aurota, the pioneer or pioneer white or caper white, is a small to medium-sized butterfly of the family Pieridae, that is, the yellows and whites, which is found in South Asia and Africa. In Africa, it is also known as the brown-veined white, and is well known during summer and autumn when large numbers migrate north-east over the interior.
Luthrodes pandava, the plains Cupid or cycad blue, is a species of lycaenid butterfly found in India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, United Arab Emirates, Indochina, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Java, Sumatra and the Philippines. They are among the few butterflies that breed on plants of the cycad class.
Cepora nadina, the lesser gull, is a small to medium-sized butterfly of the family Pieridae, that is, the yellows and whites. The species was first described by Hippolyte Lucas in 1852. It is native to Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, Hainan, and southeast Asia.
Allotinus horsfieldi, the common darkie, is a small butterfly found in India that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family.
Neopithecops zalmora, the Quaker, is a small butterfly found in South Asia and Southeast Asia that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family.
Chilades lajus, the lime blue, is a small butterfly found in India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Hainan, Mangulam Island, Sulawesi and the Philippines that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family.
Jamides kankena, the glistening cerulean, is a small butterfly found in India that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family.
Pseudozizeeria maha, the pale grass blue, is a small butterfly found in South Asia that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family. The species was first described by Vincenz Kollar in 1844.
Lycaenopsis marginata, the margined hedge blue, is a small butterfly found in India that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family.
Nacaduba pactolus, the large four-line blue, is a species of lycaenid butterfly found in Indomalayan realm.
Kallima inachus, the orange oakleaf, Indian oakleaf or dead leaf, is a nymphalid butterfly found in Tropical Asia from India to Japan. With wings closed, it closely resembles a dry leaf with dark veins and is a commonly cited example of camouflage.
Neptis jumbah, the chestnut-streaked sailer, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in South Asia.
Kallima knyvetti, the scarce blue oakleaf, is a species of leaf mimic butterfly found in Southeast Asia.
Kallima albofasciata, the Andaman oakleaf, is a species of oak leaf butterfly found in the Andaman Islands.
Kallima, known as the oakleaf or oak leaf butterflies, is a genus of butterflies of the subfamily Nymphalinae in the family Nymphalidae. They are found in east, south and southeast Asia. Their common name is a reference to the lower surface of their wings, which is various shades of brown like a dead leaf.
Junonia iphita, the chocolate pansy or chocolate soldier, is a butterfly found in Asia.