This is a list of
butterfly species found in the
Western Ghats region. This region is a
biodiversity hotspot and about 334 species of butterflies have been recorded.
- Papilionidae - Swallowtail Butterflies (19 species)
- Pieridae - Yellow-White Butterflies (34 species)
- Nymphalidae- Brush-Footed Butterflies (97 species)
- Lycaenidae- Blues, hairstreaks and Gossamer-Winged Butterflies (101 species)
- Hesperiidae - Skipper Butterflies (83 species)
Family Papilionidae
Subfamily Papilioninae
Genus Graphium (Pathysa) - The Swordtails, Zebras
Genus Graphium (Graphium) - The Bluebottles and Jays
Genus Atrophaneura (Pachliopta) - The Roses
Genus Troides - The Birdwings
Genus Papilio (Chilasa) - The Mimes
Genus Papilio (Papilio) - The Swallowtails
- Malabar Banded Swallowtail, Papilio liomedon (Moore, 1874)
- Blue Mormon, Papilio polymnestor (Cramer, 1775)
- Red Helen, Papilio helenus (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Common Mormon, Papilio polytes (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Malabar Raven, Papilio dravidarum (Wood-Mason, 1880)
- Lime Butterfly, Papilio demoleus (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Common Banded Peacock, Papilio crino (Fabricius, 1792)
- Malabar Banded Peacock, Papilio buddha (Westwood, 1872)
- Paris Peacock, Papilio paris (Linnaeus, 1758)
Family Pieridae
There are 34 species recorded.
Subfamily Pierinae - The Whites
Genus Pieris, The Whites
Genus Anaphaeis - The Pioneers
Genus Cepora - The Gulls
Genus Ixias - The Indian Orange Tips
Genus Delias - The Jezebels
Genus Prioneris - The Sawtooths
Genus Appias - The Puffins and Albatrosses
- Spot Puffin , Appias lalage (Doubleday, 1842)
- Plain Puffin , Appias indra Moore, 1857
- Striped Albatross , Appias libythea Fabricius, 1775
- Chocolate Albatross , Appias lyncida Cramer, 1777
- Common Albatross, Appias albina Felder
- Lesser Albatross , Appias wardii (Moore, 1884)
Genus Leptosia - The Psyche
Genus Hebomoia - The Great Orange Tip
Genus Colotis - The Arabs
- Small Salmon Arab , Colotis amata Fabricius, 1775
- Blue-Spotted Arab , Colotis phisadia (Godart, 1819)
- White Arab , Colotis vestalis (Butler, 1876)
- Large Salmon Arab , Colotis fausta (Olivier, 1804)
- Small Orange-Tip , Colotis etrida Boisduval, 1836
- Plain Orange-Tip , Colotis eucharis Fabricius, 1775
- Crimson-Tip , Colotis danae (Fabricius, 1775)
Genus Pareronia - The Wanderers
Subfamily Coliadinae - The Yellows
Genus Catopsilia - The Emigrants
Genus Eurema - The Grass Yellows
- Small Grass Yellow , Eurema brigitta Cramer, 1780
- Spotless Grass Yellow , Eurema laeta Boisduval, 1836
- One-Spot Grass Yellow , Eurema andersonii Moore
- Common Grass Yellow , Eurema hecabe Linnaeus, 1758
- Three-Spot Grass Yellow , Eurema blanda Boisduval, 1836
- Nilgiri Grass Yellow , Eurema nilgiriensis
Genus Colias - The Clouded Yellows
Family Nymphalidae
Subfamily Libytheinae
Genus Libythea - The Beaks
Subfamily Danainae
Genus Parantica - The Glassy Tigers
Genus Tirumala - The Blue Tigers
Genus Danaus - The Tigers
Genus Euploea - The Crows
Genus Idea - The Tree Nymphs
Subfamily Charaxinae
Genus Charaxes - The Rajahs
Genus Polyura - The Nawabs
Subfamily Morphinae
Genus Discophora - The Duffers
Genus Amathusia - The Palmking
- Palmking Amathusia phidippus Linnaeus, 1763
Subfamily Satyrinae
Genus Mycalesis - The Bushbrowns
- Whitebar Bushbrown Mycalesis anaxias Hewitson, 1862
- Small Longbrand Bushbrown Mycalesis igilia Fruhstorfer, 1909
- Long-Brand Bushbrown Mycalesis visala Moore, 1858
- Palebrand Bushbrown Mycalesis khasia Evans, 1920
- Redeye Bushbrown Mycalesis adolphei (Guérin-Ménéville, 1843)
- Palni Bushbrown Mycalesis mamerata davisoni
- Red-Disc Bushbrown Mycalesis oculus Marshall, 1880
- Gladeye Bushbrown, Mycalesis patnia Moore, 1857
- Tamil Bushbrown Mycalesis subdita Moore
- Common Bushbrown Mycalesis perseus (Fabricius, 1775)
- Dark Branded Bushbrown Mycalesis mineus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Genus Lethe - The Treebrowns
Genus Ypthima - The Rings
Genus Zipoetis - The Catseyes
Genus Orsotriaena - The Nigger
- Nigger Orsotriaena medus (Fabricius, 1775)
Genus Melanitis - The Evening Browns
Genus Parantirrhoea - The Travancore Evening Brown
Genus Elymnias - The Palmflies
Subfamily Heliconiinae
Genus Vindula - The Cruiser
- Cruiser Vindula erota Fabricius, 1793
Genus Cirrochroa - The Yeomen
Genus Cupha - The Rustic
- Rustic Cupha erymanthis (Drury, 1773)
Genus Phalanta - The Leopards
Genus Argynnis - The Fritillaries
Genus Cethosia - The lacewings
Subfamily Acraeinae
Genus Acraea - The Tawny Coster
Subfamily Limenitidinae
Genus Limenitis - The Admirals
Genus Athyma - The Sergeants
Genus Pantoporia - The Lascars
Genus Neptis - The Sailers
Genus Parthenos - The Clipper
- Clipper Parthenos sylvia (Cramer, 1775)
Genus Euthalia - The Barons
Genus Tanaecia - The Counts
Genus Dophla - The Dukes
Subfamily Cyrestinae
Genus Cyrestis - The Map Butterflies
Subfamily Biblidinae
Genus Ariadne - The Castors
Genus Byblia - The Joker
- Joker Byblia ilithyia (Drury, 1773)
Subfamily Apaturinae
Genus Rohana -
Genus Euripus - The Courtesans
Subfamily Nymphalinae
Genus Vanessa - Admirals, Painted Lady
Genus Kaniska
Genus Junonia - The Pansies
Genus Hypolimnas - The Eggflies
Genus Kallima - The Oakleafs
Genus Doleschallia - The Autumn Leaf
- Autumnleaf Doleschallia bisaltide malabarica (Cramer, 1777)
Family Lycaenidae
Genus Abisara, The Judies
Genus Logania - The Mottles
- Mottle Logania distanti Semper, 1889.
Genus Spalgis - The Apefly
- Apefly Spalgis epius (Westwood, 1851) (L6.1)
Genus Talicada - The Red Pierrot
Genus Castalius - The Common Pierrot
Genus Caleta - The Angled Pierrot
Genus Discolampa - The Banded Blue Pierrot
Genus Tarucus - The Blue Pierrots
Genus Syntarucus - The Zebra Blue
Genus Azanus - The Babul Blues
Genus Neopithecops - The Quaker
- Quaker Neopithecops zalmora Butler 1870 (L15.1)
Genus Megisba - The Malayan
- Malayan Megisba malaya (Horsfield, 1828) (H20.1, p. 220)
Genus Celastrina - The Hedge Blues
Genus Acytolepis - The Hedge Blues
Genus Akasinula - The White Hedge Blue
Genus Cyaniris - The Hedge Blues
Genus Polyommatus - The Meadow Blues
Genus Chilades - The Lime Blue
Genus Zizeeria - The Grass Blues
Genus Pseudozizeeria - The Pale Grass Blue
Genus Zizula - The Tiny Grass Blue
Genus Freyeria - The Grass Jewel
Genus Euchrysops - The Gram Blues
- Gram Blue Euchrysops cnejus (Fabricius, 1798) (L23.1)
Genus Edales - The Plains Cupid
Genus Anthene - The Ciliate Blues
Genus Catachrysops - The Forget-me-nots
Genus Lampides - The Ceruleans and the Peablue
- Peablue Lampides boeticus (Linnaeus, 1767) (L26.1)
Genus Jamides - The Ceruleans
Genus Nacaduba - The Lineblues
Genus Prosotas - The Lineblues
Genus Petrelea - The Dingy Lineblue
Genus Curetis - The Sunbeams
Genus Iraota - The Silverstreak Blues
Genus Horsfieldia - The Leaf Blue
Genus Thaduka - The Many-tailed Oak-Blue
Genus Arhopala - The Oakblues
Genus Nilasera - The Oakblues
Genus Panchala - The Oakblues
Genus Narathura - The Tamil Oakblue
Genus Surendra - The Acacia Blue
Genus Zinaspa - The Silver Streaked Acacia Blue
Genus Loxura - The Yamfly
- Yamfly Loxura atymnus (Cramer, 1782) (L48.1)
Genus Apharitis - The Tawny Silverline
Genus Spindasis - The Silverlines
Genus Aphnaeus - The Silverlines
Genus Zesius - The Redspot
Genus Pratapa - The Tufted Royals
Genus Ancema - The Royals
Genus Creon - The Broadtail Royal
Genus Tajuria - The Royals
Genus Ops - The Branded Royal
Genus Charana - The Mandarin Blues
Genus Cheritra - The Common Imperial
Genus Rathinda - The Monkeypuzzle
Genus Horaga - The Onyxs
Genus Catapaecilma - The Common Tinsel
Genus Chliaria - The Tits
Genus Zeltus - The Fluffy Tit
Genus Deudorix - The Cornelians
Genus Virachola - The Guava Blues
Genus Rapala - The Flashes
Genus Vadebra - The Malabar Flash
Genus Bindahara - The Plane
- Plane Bindahara phocides (Fabricius, 1793) (L74.1)
Family Hesperiidae
Coeliadinae
Genus Badamia - The Brown Awl
- Brown Awl Badamia exclamationis (Fabricius, 1775)
Genus Bibasis - The Orange Tailed Awl
Genus Choaspes - The Awlkings.
Genus Hasora - The Awls
Hesperiinae
Genus Aeromachus - The Scrub Hoppers
Genus Ampittia - The Bush Hoppers
Genus Arnetta - The Bobs
Genus Baoris - The Swifts.
Genus Baracus - Hedge Hoppers
Genus Pseudoborbo - Bevan's Swift
Genus Borbo - The Swifts
Genus Caltoris - The Swifts
Genus Cupitha - The Wax Dart
Genus Erionota - The Palm Redeye
Genus Gangara - The Giant Redeye
Genus Gegenes
Genus Halpe - The Aces
Genus Matapa - The Branded Redeye
Genus Notocrypta - The Demons
Genus Parnara
Genus Pelopidas - The Branded Swifts
Genus Polytremis
Genus Potanthus - The Darts
Genus Psolos - The Coon
- Coon Psolos fuligo (Mabille, 1876)
Genus Quedara
Genus Salanoemia - The Lancer
Genus Sovia
Genus Suastus - The Palm Bob.
Genus Taractrocera - The Grass Darts
Genus Telicota - The Palm Darts
Genus Cephrenes
Genus Thoressa - The Aces
Genus Udaspes - The Grass Demon.
Genus Hyarotis - The Flitters
Genus Oriens - The Dartlets
Pyrginae
Genus Caprona - The Angles
Genus Celaenorrhinus - The Flat
Genus Coladenia - The Pied Flats
Genus Daimio - The White Flat
Genus Gomalia
Genus Odontoptilum - The Angles
Genus Sarangesa - The Samll Flats.
Genus Spialia - The Grizzled Skippers.
Genus Tagiades - The Snow Flats.
Genus Tapena - The Angles
Notes
See also
References
- (In press.) Checklist of the Butterflies of the Western Ghats, Southwestern India. In K. A. Subramanian (ed.) Diversity and Conservation of Invertebrates in the Western Ghats.
- (1932) The Identification of Indian Butterflies. (2nd Ed), Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India
- (1957) Butterflies of the Indian Region, Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India.
- 1996. Butterflies of the Western Ghats, India (including Sri Lanka): a biodiversity assessment of a threatened mountain system. Report to the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Bangalore.
- 1987-88. The butterflies of the Nilgiri Mountains of southern India (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., vol 84 & 85.
External links