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Lepidoptera : Lycaenidae : Theclinae) from Indian Himalayas

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Lepidoptera : Lycaenidae : Theclinae) from Indian Himalayas Ann. Entomol., 31(1) : 9-13 (2013) ISSN 0970-3721 STATUS AND TAXONOMIC NOTES ON THE RARE BUTTERFLY, APHARITIS LILACINUS (MOORE) (LEPIDOPTERA : LYCAENIDAE : THECLINAE) FROM INDIAN HIMALAYAS by Charan Kumar, Avtar Kaur Sidhu* and H. S. Rose** Department of Biology, A. S. College, Khanna 141 402, Punjab, India *High Altitude Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India Saproon, Solan-173 211 (H.P.), India [email protected] Abstract The Apharitis lilacinus from plains and foothills of India is reported as rare by various previous workers and hence also included in part II, Schedule II of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 of India. During the surveys of North-west India from 1991 to 1998 in different periods of the years, only one five male individual of Apharitis lilacinus from Mathiana, Chamolie in Uttarakhand state could be collected, which inferred that this species has come under threat. Besides, in present studies the male genitalia of Apharitis lilacinus is studied for the first time. Keywords : Lycaenidae, Riodinidae, Abisara, fylla, female genitalia. Introduction has been reported from a new distribution locality Workers like Evans (1932), Peile (1937), and appears to be restricted in distribution. Wynter-Blyth (1957) and Cantlie (1963) have Besides collection of the female individuals, it reported the species Apharitis lilacinus (Moore) needs to be conserved by taking into account commonly called as Lilac Silverline, to be rare its ecological and biological aspects in the said and the same can be collected in the open plains locality. and foothills of India (Wynter-Blyth, 1940). Owing to this, it has also been enlisted in part II of Genus Apharitis Riley schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Common name : The Silverlines Taxonomically, except for d’ Abrera (1986) who Riley, 1925, Novit. zool. 32 : 70; Evans, 1932, considered the species, under reference, in the Ident. Indian Butts (2nd ed.) : 275; Cantlie, 1963, genus Spindasis Wallengren, majority of the Lyc. Butts Revised : 112. workers (Swinhoe, 1885; Watson, 1890; Type-species : Polyommatus epargyros Hannyngton, 1910; Peile, 1937; Wynter-Blyth, Eversmann 1940, 1947, 1957; Best, 1954; Cantlie, 1963; Eversmann, 1854, Bull. soc. imp. Nat, Moscon Bridges, 1988) have reported it under Apharitis 27 (2) : 178 Riley. As a new taxon, it was described under Generic Diagnosis :Eyes smooth; labial palpi the genus Aphnaeus Hübner by Moore (1884) fairly long, second segment slender, clothed and the latter arrangement was also followed by below with white scales; antenna with club not de Nicéville (1890). Apharitis lilacinus (Moore) clearly differentiated, slender, nudum limited to is redescribed on the basis of five male club; each leg with femur longer than tibia; individuals, collected from Maithana, District underside of wings bearing metallic silvery Chamoli of Uttarakhand state of Western markings, hindwing lobe not prominent and tail Himalaya. However, during present surveys, it at vein Culb half as long as tail at vein 1A+2A; Received on : 23/11/2012 Accepted on : 16/05/2013 **SUS College of Research & Technology, Mohali 140 306, Punjab, India 10 Charan Kumar, Avtar Kaur Sidhu* and H. S. Rose** PLATE - 1 Apharitis lilacinus (Moore) Fig. : 1) Venation of forewing 2) Venation of handwing 3) Male genitalia (lateral view) 4) Left valva (inner view) 5) Aedeagus (lateral view) Ann. Entomol., 31(1) : 9-13 (2013) Status and taxonomic notes on the rare butterfly, from Indian Himalayas 11 Male, Upperside Male, Underside Apharitis lilacinus forewing with 11 veins; male genitalia with each with femur longer than tibia, terminal tibial spurs uncus lobe elongated, gradually tapering into present, tarsus spiny; forewing triangular, costa narrow apex, brachia normal, costae of both the slightly convex, apex subacute, termen convex valvae united with each other dorsally by a semi between adjacent veins, uppersurface light violet membranous band. blue, with broad brown border along costa and termen, border more thicker at apex, termen Apharitis lilacinus (Moore) fringed with dark brown cilia, dorsum hairy, Common name : The Lilac Silverline undersurface brownish yellow, with a costal Plate-1, figs. 1-5 streak, a small basal streak, a spot end cell, a Moore, 1884, J. asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt II 53 (1) : small subbasal band, a discal band with wavy 28 (Aphnaeus); Evans, 1932, Ident. Indian Butts edges, extending from below costa to middle of (2nd ed.) : 275 (Apharitis). Culb, two conjoined inner discal spots, one each aestivus Swinhoe, [1887], Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. below and above vein M1, two outer orbicular (4) : 429 (Aphnaeus). postdiscal spots in R5 and M2, a long submarginal band, a marginal band; hindwing Adult (Male) : Frontoclypeal area squarish, oval, lobed at tornus, termen convex, median half covered with dark brown scales, uppersurface light violet blue with brown border, laterally followed with two broad parallel marginal the latter more thicker along apex, tornus orange, bands of cinnamoneous scales; eyes smooth; with a black tornal spot, tailed at vein Culb and labial palpi fairly long, porrect, extend well beyond vein 1A+2A, tails 2 mm and 4 mm respectively, head, second segment longer, slender, above with orange with dark brown scales along border, few dark brown scales, below with white scales, third white scales at apex, cilia along termen dark segment laterally compressed, black, gradually brown, dorsum hairy, undersurface brownish tapering to narrow apex, angled with second yellow, three subbasal spots, a long discal band segment; antenna 6 mm, club not clearly defined, extending towards tornus, a postdiscal band from slender, spiny, above with dark brown scales, below costa to vein M3, a submarginal band, apex rounded, nudum confined to club only, followed by a marginal band, tornus orange with flagellum furnished with black scales, ringed white two marginal black spots, one each in Culb and broadly; thorax dorsally black, with thin sparse 1A+2A, all markings on undersurface of both the white hair over posterior portion, below with a wings slightly darker than ground color, encircled coat of thin white hair; legs slender, each leg black. 12 Charan Kumar, Avtar Kaur Sidhu* and H. S. Rose** Venation(fig., 1,2) : Forewing with discal cell Bombay, Haridwar, Mysore, Bangalore, shorter than half of the wing, vein Sc and vein Palmaner, Malda, Assam. R1 slightly approximating, vein R4 absent, vein Larval food plant : Not known, recorded in gram R3 before middle of vein R5, stalk of veins R3+R5 fields by Wynter-Blyth (1957). stalked with vein M1 before separation, vein M2 Remarks : While examining the sample of five closer to vein M1 than vein M3, discocellulars male individuals, it has been noted that one of incomplete, vein Cula well before end cell, all them possesses a well developed costal streak veins thicker in basal area of the wing; hindwing on undersurface of the forewing, which is wanting with discal cell less than half of the wing, vein in the remaining specimens. Also, the RS well before end cell, vein M2 equidistant submarginal band on the same surface is between vein M1 and vein M3, discocellulars complete and relatively prominent. Regarding obsolete, vein Cula well before end cell, all veins venation, the upper discocellulars are complete thicker in basal area. in both the wings in one of the individuals, whereas, these are incomplete in the remaining Male Genitalia (figs. 3-5) : Symmetrical, size sample. In order to establish their conspecificity, moderate in relation to body; uncus bilobate, the variable individuals were dissected and their divided by posterior deep emargination, lobes genitalia examined. They were found to be widely separated, each lateral lobe basally broad, identical in all genital details. Further, it has also elongated, gradually tapering to a narrow apex, been observed that the structures such as bilobed pilose; brachia long, slender, sharply curved, uncus with subtriangular lobes, sharply curved gradually narrowed to pointed apices; tegumen elongated brachia, broad saccus, slender dorsally reduced, with small pointed lateral aedeagus with pointed apex and elongated valvae processes; lateral windows narrow; subscaphium broadly agree with those of the genitalia of the narrow, short; vinculum long, uniformly broad, type-species, Apharitis epargyros (Eversmann) straight, deep figured by Stempffer (1967). In other words, this U-shaped, band-like; saccus well developed, proves the congeneric nature of the species, broad, transversely arched, apex rounded, under reference. directed cephalad; valvae ventrally conjoined, each valva broader than longer, costae of both References sides connected to each other by a membranous Best, A.E.G. 1954. Notes on butterflies of the Nagalapurum band, sacculus very broad, ampulla + harpe Hills, Eastern Ghats. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 52 : 365-373. produced to a large subacute process apically, Bridges, C.A. 1988. Catalogue of Lycaenidae & Riodinidae the latter somewhat rough, pilose; juxta (Lepidoptera : Rhopalocera). U.S.A. : vii+ (I.ii + comprising two medially connected elongated I.377) + (II.ii + II.115) + (III.ii + III.140) + (IV.ii + subtriangular plates, with a thick transverse ridge; IV.101) + (V.ii+V.37) + (V.ii + VI.12) + Appen. I & II. Cantlie, K. 1963. The Lycaenidae portion (except the aedeagus broad, slender, subzone slightly longer Arhopala group) of Brigadier Evans’ The than suprazone, the latter with apical portion Identification of Indian Butterflies 1932 ( India, tapering
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