The Whitedisc Hedge Blue (Cyaniris albidisca) is a small butterfly found in India that belongs to the Lycaenids or Blues family.

Taxonomy

The butterfly was earlier known as Lycaenopsis albidisca Moore.

Description

Very closely allied to Cyaniris puspa, from which it differs as follows: Male Upperside: dull indigo-blue, not so dark as puspa when looked at from above vertically and with much less refulgent iridescence in an oblique light; the white on both fore and hind wings much more clearly defined,never diffuse and apparently prcsont at all seasons; on the fore wing the white is limited to the basal portions of interspaces 2 and 3 and does not extend into the cell or above vein 4; on the hind wing it occupies the basal half of interspace 6 and is strictly bounded by vein 7 above and vein 6 below. The terminal margins of both fore and hind wings with much narrower black edgings than in C. puspa. Underside: differs from that of puspa in the markings, which are smaller and much more delicate; on the fore wing the transverse postdiscal series of abbreviated line-like markings is bisinuate, placed further towards the terminal margin and has the component spots somewhat differently arranged; on the hind wing also the spots on the disc posteriorly are more regular than in puspa.

Female: Upperside ground-colour and white on disc of wings almost as in puspa, but always both in fore and hind wings more limited, the black costal and terminal margins consequently broader. Underside: the markings as in the male, and therefore differ in a similar manner from those of C. puspa female. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen in both sexes as in C. puspa.

Range

It is found in South India.

Cited references

See also

• List of butterflies of India (Lycaenidae)

References

• Beccaloni, G. W., Scoble, M. J., Robinson, G. S. & Pitkin, B. (Editors). 2003. The Global Lepidoptera Names Index (LepIndex). World Wide Web electronic publication. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/entomology/lepindex [accessed 14 October 2006].
• Evans, W.H. (1932) The Identification of Indian Butterflies. (2nd Ed), Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India