Pelopidas mathias

Dark small-branded swift
Nanakmatta, Uttarakhand, India.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Hesperiidae
Genus:	Pelopidas
Species:	P. mathias
Binomial name
Pelopidas mathias (Fabricius, 1798)
Synonyms
Hesperia mathiasFabricius, 1798 Baoris mathias Parnara parvimaculaRothschild, 1915 Gegenes elegansMabille, 1877 Pamphila umbrataButler, 1879 Hesperia octofenestrataSaalmüller, 1884 Pamphila albirostrisMabille 1887 in Grandidier, [1885-7] Hesperia chayaMoore, [1866] Hesperia julianusLatreille, [1824] Pamphila repetitaButler, 1882

Pelopidas mathias, the dark small-branded swift, small branded swift, lesser millet skipper or black branded swift, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae. It is found throughout much of south, ^[1] southeast and East Asia, and as far as the Philippines. It is also present in tropical Africa and Arabia. ^{[2] [3]}

Description

In Kolkata, West Bengal, India

In 1891, Edward Yerbury Watson described it as:

Male. Upperside olive brown: forewing with two small yellowish semi-transparent spots within end of cell, three before the apex, and in the male three oblique discal spots followed by a dark-bordered slender straight impressed glandular streak: hindwing with one or two very indistinct pale discal spots. Female with five discal spots in the forewing, and four or five in the hindwing. Underside paler; markings more distinct; hindwing also with a spot at upper end of the cell. Expanse 1.6 inch. ^[4] (Moore) ^[5]

Role in agriculture

P. mathias is considered a pest to rice-growing cultures, although it is not as damaging to rice plants as Parnara guttata . Newly hatched caterpillars are especially voracious in eating young seedlings. They also use silken threads to roll up and stitch together partially eaten leaves for more efficient consumption. ^[6]

Subspecies

• Pelopidas mathias mathias
• Pelopidas mathias oberthueriEvans, 1937
• Pelopidas mathias repetita(Butler, 1882) (Admiralty Island, Dampier Island, Vulcan Island)

References

1. R.K., Varshney; Smetacek, Peter (2015). A Synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India. New Delhi: Butterfly Research Centre, Bhimtal & Indinov Publishing, New Delhi. p. 57. doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.3966.2164. ISBN   978-81-929826-4-9.
2. W. H., Evans (1949). A Catalogue of the Hesperiidae from Europe, Asia, and Australia in the British Museum. London: British Museum (Natural History). Department of Entomology. p. 441.
3. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain : Swinhoe, Charles (1912–1913). Lepidoptera Indica. Vol. X. Vol. 10. London: Lovell Reeve and Co. p. 320.
4. 1.6 inches (41 mm)
5. E. Y., Watson (1891). Hesperiidae Indicae : being a reprint of descriptions of the Hesperiidae of India, Burma, and Ceylon. Madras: Vest and Company. p. 31.
6. Heinrichs, E.A. (editor) (1994). Biology and Management of Rice Insects. Int. Rice Res. Inst. pp. 441–42. ISBN   81-224-0581-9.{{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)