Meghamalai Silverline

 Cigaritis meghamalaiensis (Sadasivan and Naicker, 2023)



Malayalam Name

:

മേഘമല വെള്ളിവരയൻ

Order

:

Lepidoptera

Family

:

Lycaenidae

Sub-family

:

Aphnaeinae

Sub species

:

No subspecies

common names

:

Meghamalai Silverline


DISTRIBUTION Western Ghats

          

STATUS:

Recently discovered species.C. meghamalaiensis has been described from the Meghamalai hills, in the southern part of the Western Ghats. It is found to be common in the Meghamalai of Tamil Nadu and in the nearby Periyar Tiger Reserve of Kerala


HABITAT: Cloud forests of WG


HABITS


IDENTIFICATION  FEATURES

Wing Span: 30-42 mm.Cigaritis meghamalaiensis is distinguished from other species of the genus in peninsular South Asia, having the discal and postdiscal bands on the underside of the forewing being conjoined and parallel. It is also characterized by a continuous post-basal band on the underside of the hindwing, which doesn't reach up to the discal band. The dorsal side of the wings shows extensive blue markings in males

SIMILAR SPECIES 

LARVAL HOST PLANTS


LIFE CYCLE

MORE IMAGES



Courtesy 

Write up:Wikipaedia
Images: TNHS & iFoundbutterfly.org

കേരള വനം വന്യജീവി വകുപ്പ്  
മാങ്കുളം ഡിവിഷൻ


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