GENERAL NOTES Journal of the LepidDpterists' Society .57 (4) , 2003,29.5- 298 NEW RECORDS O~ THE DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY OF COMMON GEM BUTTERFLY, PORITIA HEWITSONI HEWITSONI MOORE FROM THE LOWER WESTERN HIMALAYAS: A LESSER KNOWN TAXA Additional key words: geographical distribution, seasonality, ahundance, habitats, habits, larval food plant. The common gem butterfly, Poritia hewitsoni hew­ tree in an open and mixed sal forest) (Singh 1999). itsoni Moore (1866) (Poritiinae: Lycaenidae), is en­ Both the places lie in the Dehra Dun valley (77°40'E demic to the Oriental (Indo-Australian) region (Fig. to 78°15'E and 300 00'N to 300 35'N), in Uttaranchal 1). Its distribution extends from Kumaon in northern state of northern India, which lies further west to Ku­ India in the west, up to north Thailand in the east, maon, the known western most limit for the distribu­ through the lower Himalayan tracts in Nepal, Sikkim, tion of this species. Later, this species was also col­ W. Bengal (Dargeeling), Bhutan up to parts of north­ lected from Paonta valley (4 individuals from a sal east India (Assam and Meghalaya [Khasi hills]) , ex­ forest edge at Rajban in July 1996) and Nahan treme south-east Bangladesh (Chittagong hill tracts) (77°20'E to 300 33'N) (one specimen [male] observed and north Myanmar (Chin, Arakan and Karen hills, in a mixed sal forest with Terminalia tomentosa trees Chindwin, Pegu) (De Niceville 1890, Bingham 1907, besides the road near Shambuwala in November Swinhoe 1910- 11 , Evans 1932, Wynter-Blyth 1957, 1999). These places lie in the Sirmaur district of Hi­ d'Abrera 1986, Mani 1986, HaribaI1992), W. Doherty machal Pradesh state, which is further west to Dehra collected one male and one female of this species from Dun district. Even Mackinnon and De Niceville (1899) Kali river valley at Garjighat near Kumaon-Nepal bor­ who had studied butterflies of Mussoorie and neigh­ der (approx. 800 07'E and 29°12'N) and this record is boring regions during all the seasons for 11 successive considered to be the western most limit in the distri­ years (1887-98), had not record this species in Dehra bution of this species (Hannyngton 1910), In east to Dun district. One reason could have been non assess central Nepal, P h, hewitsoni occurs in lower midlands to Paonta valley and Nahan due to poorly developed from 160 m to 1050 m (Lamjung, Rupandehi, Chitwan road communication at that time. districts) as a locally abundant, fairly common species As there were no previous records of this butterfly found during winter. It has also been recorded in from the western Himalayas, I decided to carry out ex­ March, April, August, September, November and De­ tensive surveys in Dehra Dun valley to know more cember months, on trees in jungle clearings, riverine about the distribution and ecology (seasonality, food and sal, Shorea robusta flowers from Nepal (Smith plants, breeding time, habits, habitat, life history, etc.) 1989, 1997), However, in Sikkim it is not eaSily of this lesser known butterfly species in the lower west recorded presumably as it flies high among the trees Himalayan tracts of Uttaranchal state. and goes unnoticed as it flies around rapidly to settle Study area. The Dehra Dun valley lies between the on leaves in jungle country at low elevations (Mangan west Himalayan mountain ranges in the north and the and Rangpo areas) during October and November Shiwalik range running parallel to it in the south at a (Wynter-Blyth 1957 & Haribal 1992). In Darjeeling mean altitude of 485 m and covers an area of ca. 1920 (north Bengal) one male was collected in March km 2. In the west it is bordered by the river Yamuna and (Maude 1949), Its life history and food plants have so in the east by the river Ganga. The valley is also well far not been recorded and only its egg has been de­ watered by perennial streams. The mountain slopes on scribed by W. Doherty as 'truncate pyramid in shape, the north and south sides of the valley are covered with half again as long as wide with two vertical and sloping pure and mixed forests dominated by sal, Shorea ro­ and two horizontal faces, reticulate above as is usual in busta (tropical moist deciduous sal forests or TMDSF; the family Lycaenidae' (De Niceville 1890), The tuft of Champion & Seth 1968). These forests cover 51-58% hairs present on the hind wings of this butterfly are of Dehra Dun valley (FSI 199.5). Mixed stands have known to produce a pleasant perceptible odor Terminalia tornentosa, Tbelerica, Adina cordifolia, (HaribaI1992). Lagerstromia parviflora, Mallotus philipTJensis, Lannea Recently, this butterfly was collected from the New cormondalica, Syzygiurn cumini trees, as other domi­ Forest campus (8 individuals in August 1988 on a nant species besides sal. The valley receives ca. 200 cm guava tree) and adjOining forested slopes of Tons rainfall annually, mostly during the monsoons valley (10+ recorded on November 1989 on a mango (June-September). The temperature fluctuates be- 296 JOURNAL OF THE LEPIDOPTERISTS' SOCIETY 60 oE 70 0 E '?,', -180 o E 100 "E (." : ) ~"-\ .. - .. ~ /Kanfl7( '.lIey (H.~tl Paonta v. alley (H.r.) ~ • £ M.IOt;:dn & ,..." 41, 'ehta Du n Riilngpo ., '. all (S,kk,m) CHINA .. .r" ? )~~n"hall ~......... -..-'.f PAKISTAN •• J ~ ~ .. I Lamjungd,strirt1 BHUTAN '\ " / Yj ,-- (NeL-l) ."\... \ I. L -' sam "1' ~ /ir~fl' ;;t... -...~~ '® r7 N ~ .[.J (INDIA,' \...··rii/r.·...-.'®®KhasiH"~ {.J '----', 't... ".~~ (Meg1'aya) GhalJ,ghat, K.h valley ~. ANG):fnj.~H (Kumaon -Nepal hnrd .... \ Rupf>nJ~hi & Chilwil1n districts ( N",oall ® records Prey iously known westward distributional limit Pegu New records (present survey) Westward dij\ributional limit of larval f'ood plants in TMDSF 'i1 , Continuous •. : ~ L-__T_ _'_I_SO_I+te _ d_p_at_ch__ e~: ______ --,~I....j- _ __ _ _---- -------l---. FIG. L Map uepicting thp geographical distribution of common gem butterfly. l'oritia hewitsoni hewitsoni Moore in the Oriental region and the location of collection sites jn Tropical moist deciduous sal forests (TMDSF) from where it was recently recorded. tween -1 DC to 43,9DC from winter to summer. The dis­ months for two successive years (July 2000- August tribution of the seasons in the area is as follows: Spring 2(02), based on the methodology adopted by Blair and (March-April); Pre-Monsoon (May-June); Summer! Launer (1997). Monsoon (July-August); Post-Monsoon (September­ Seasonality and abundance. P h. hewtisoni spec­ October); Autumn (November- December); Winter imens (both male and female) were recorded from all (January- February ). the 5 sites. This species was found to be relatively lo­ Study sites and sampHng. A total of 5 sites (Baar­ cally abundant as compared to other butterHies , being wala, Jhajra, Thano, Timli & Karvapani forest areas) collected in almost half (46%) of the total samplings. each covering a continuous area of 4 km2 and repre­ The data on the number of individuals collected from senting the TMDSF, spread over the valley were se­ different sal forest sites in Dehra Dun valley is given in lected for sampling. Sampling of each site for butter­ the Table 1. The Hight period of P h. hewitsoni in the Hies was done visually by walking and counting the lower western Himalayas, as recorded in this study, is number of individuals of butterHy species on a line from spring to autumn seasons with higher abundance transect for :30 minutes during sunshine, In all 8 line in July- August (monsoons) when it also breeds. transects were covered in each site totaling to 4 h of Habits and Habitat. Most of the collections were sampling period in 2 successive days (2 hlday in a made in edges/ openings of sal forest. Large assem­ stretch). All the three strata (canopy, middle story and blages of this butterHy were recorded (a) while nectar ground level) were sampled for butterHies with the feeding on Howering Syzygium operculata trees grow­ help of binoculars and butterHy nets. Only a few ing besides a stream (riverine) in the company of voucher specimens were collected for identification of Large Oak Blue, Aropala arnantes Hewitsoll and Com­ difIicult species. Destructive sampling was kept to the mon Si]verline, Spindasis 1J'Ulcanus Fabricius, butter­ minimum. Each site was thus samplcd once in two flies (Bamwala); (b) in the edge of a sal forest growing VOLUME .57, NUMflER 4 297 TABLE 1. Common gem butterfly, Puritia hewitsuni hewitsoni Moore individuals recorded* from tropical moist deciduous sal, Shurerl ru­ husta forest sites in Dehra Dun valley, the lower western Himalayas. Sites Year Season Month Baarwala Jhajra Thano Timli Karvapani 2000 Monsoon July August 31 Post-Monsoon Sept October Autumn November December 2001 Winter January Februmy Spring March 2 18 April Pre-Monsoon May Tune Monsoon July 22 August 4 3 Post-Monsoon Sept 23 October 16 AutU1l111 November 2 9 December 2002 'Winter January February Spring March April Pre-Monsoon May June 5 Monsoon July August 4.5 * Recorded in 4 h of sampling time period in 2 successive days and covering 8 transects in an area of 4 km 2 for each site. in mixed association with tall TeminaZia tomentosa its actual size and shape. Pupae: Pale in color with trees (in flowering) and Mallotus phillipiensis trees oc­ a line of black spots on the 2 margins, 10 mm long cupying lower story below it (Jhajra); (c) degraded, ex­ which were found attached to the upper surface of tensively lopped open, pure sal forest (Thana); (d) in fresh leaves of young sal trees in an open forest (Bar­ small openings in a dense, mixed sal forest having closed wala, August) and also on the leaves of a climber MiZ­ canopy, on bushes and dry leaves present on the forest letia (furicuZaia in sal forest (Timli, September).