''Udara singalensis'', the Singalese hedge blue, is a species of
Lycaenidae
Lycaenidae is the second-largest family of butterflies (behind Nymphalidae, brush-footed butterflies), with over 6,000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 30% of the known butterfl ...
butterfly. It is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
.
Description
Race ''singalensis'', Felder. Male upperside: purplish blue with in certain lights a refulgent (resplendent) silvery iridescence, most conspicuous along the costa of the forewing, forewings and hindwings: a very narrow black edging to the terminal margins narrower on the hindwing than on the forewing, not dilated towards the apex of the latter. Cilia conspicuously white. Underside: silvery white with a slight tinge of blue; both forewings and hindwings with the usual ''
Cyaniris
''Cyaniris'' is a genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae.
Recent molecular studies have determined that ''Cyaniris'' is a different genus from ''Polyommatus'', where it has been included for several years.
Species
Two species are recogn ...
'' markings. Forewing: the postdiscal series of abbreviated lines or elongate spots pale brown, very regular, placed almost end to end, the series slightly curved and not closer lo the termen posteriorly than anteriorly. Hindwing: the markings are pale brown, regular but small, the subbasal transverse series of three spots and the subcostal spot in interspace 7 black, the latter not larger than the others. Both forewings and hindwings: with the spots of the subterminal series very small, mere black dots; the inner subterminal series of markings lunular and generally somewhat blurred, the posterior lunules on the forewing distinctly broadened as in the typical form but not so prominently; finally, the anteciliary black line very slender and clearly defined. Antenna, head, thorax and abdomen blackish, the antenna ringed with white, the thorax clothed with purplish-blue pubescence (fine hairs); beneath: palpi, thorax and abdomen white.
Female upperside, forewing: costa and termen very broadly blackish brown; the remainder of the wing purplish blue, paling almost to white towards the anterior, outer portion. Hindwing: costa broadly, termen and dorsum more narrowly blackish brown, the rest of the wing pale purplish blue, the colour getting still paler on the anterior and outer portion as on the forewing: the blackish-brown edging on the terminal margin reduced posteriorly to an anteciliary black line within which there is a transverse series of subterminal black spots enclosed further inwards by an obscure series of dark lunules. Underside: ground colour and markings as in the male. Antenna, head, thorax and abdomen similar but darker.
[ (under ''Cyaniris huegeli'' race ''singalensis'').]
Range
It is found in
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
.
See also
*
List of butterflies of India (Lycaenidae)
This is a list of the butterflies of India belonging to the family Lycaenidae and an index to the species articles. This forms part of the full List of butterflies of India.
This list is based on Evans (1932) and includes 318 species bel ...
Cited references
References
*
*
Udara
Butterflies of Sri Lanka
Butterflies described in 1868
Taxa named by Rudolf Felder
{{Polyommatini-stub