Southern Blue Oakleaf

Kallima horsfieldii Kollar, [1844] 



Malayalam Name

:

ഓക്കില ശലഭം

Order

:

Lepidoptera

Family

:

Nymphalidae

Sub-family

:

Nymphalinae

Sub species

:

No subspecies

common names

:

Sahyadri Blue Oakleaf/ South Indian Blue Oakleaf

DISTRIBUTION :  India

STATUS: Endemic to Western Ghats

HABITAT : 

HABITS

IDENTIFICATION  FEATURES: 

Males and females similar.The underside appears like a leaf complete with midrib while the upperside is brilliantly coloured.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.

SIMILAR SPECIES : 

LARVAL HOST PLANTS

The larva feeds on plants belonging to Family Acanthaceae such as Pseuderanthemum malabaricum, Lepidagathis cuspidata, Strobilanthes callosus, Strobilanthes ciliata, Eranthemum roseum.

LIFE CYCLE

MORE IMAGES












 Courtesy
Write up:Wikipaedia
Images: TNHS

കേരള വനം വന്യജീവി വകുപ്പ്  
മാങ്കുളം ഡിവിഷൻ

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