Iraota timoleon

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Panorpida
Cladus: Amphiesmenoptera
Ordo: Lepidoptera
Subordo: Glossata
Cladus: Coelolepida
Cladus: Myoglossata
Cladus: Neolepidoptera
Infraordo: Heteroneura
Cladus: Eulepidoptera
Cladus: Ditrysia
Cladus: Apoditrysia
Cladus: Obtectomera
Superfamilia: Papilionoidea

Familia: Lycaenidae
Subfamilia: Theclinae
Tribus: Amblypodiini
Genus: Iraota
Species: Iraota timoleon
Subspecies: I. t. aenus – I. t. arsaces – I. t. nicevillei – I. t. timoleon – I. t. wickii
Name

Iraota timoleon (Stoll, 1790).

Type locality: "la Chine", China.

Holotype: Not located
Synonymy

Papilio timoleon Stoll, 1790, Suppl. 146, Pl.32, Figs 4,4D.
Hesperia maecenas Fabricius, 1793: 271.
Iraota maecenas (Fabricius); Bethune-Baker, 1903: 11.
Iraota timoleon (Stoll); Bethune-Baker, 1903: 9, pl.4, figs 2,2a ♂ genit.; D'Abrera, 1986: 587; Eliot, 1992: 293, 421,pl. 44, fig. 9.

References

D'Abrera, B. 1986. Butterflies of the Oriental Region, Part III Lycaenidae & Riodinidae: pp. 536–672. Hill House, Melbourne. Reference page.
Bethune-Baker, G. T. 1903. A revision of the Amblypodia group of butterflies of the family Lycaenidae. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London 17(1): 3–164, 5 pls. text, plates. Reference page.
Fabricius, J.C. 1793. Entomologia Systematica emendata et aucta. Secundun classes, ordines, genera, species, adjectis synonimis, locis, observationibus, descriptionibus. Tomus III. Pars I. C. G. Proft, Hafniae, [vi] + 487 pp. BHL. Reference page.
Murayama, S. & Okamura, H., 1973. Butterflies of Luzon island in the Philippines, with descriptions of new species and sub-species. Tyô to Ga 24(1): 10-25., 48 figs. Reference page.
Stoll, C. 1780–1790. In Cramer, P. De Uitlandsche Kapellen voorkomende in der drie Waereld-Deelen Asia, Afrika en America (etc). Amsterdam, Baalde & Utrecht. Part 4 + Suppl. Pt.4 [1780]: 29–90, pls 305–336; [1781]: 91–164, pls 337–372; [1782]: 165–252, pls 373–400; Suppl [1787]: 1–42, pls 1–8; [1790]: 43–184, pls 9–42. Reference page.

Iraota timoleon, the silverstreak blue, is a species of lycaenid or blue butterfly found in Asia.[1][2]

Description
For a key to the terms used, see Glossary of entomology terms.

Male. Upperside. Forewing black, the basal two-thirds of the lower area of the wing deep metallic blue, varying in extent in different specimens. Hindwing also black, the disc deep metallic blue which also varies in extent, abdominal marginal space pale, a glandular basal patch between veins 7 and 8; tail black, tipped with white. Cilia of both wings black, tipped with white. Underside dark chocolate brown variegated, being paler in parts. Forewing a gradually formed club-sliaped silvery streak in the cell, touching the sub-costal nervure, reaching a little beyond the middle of the cell, a round silvery spot at the end of the cell, a discal series of four spots in a straight line, in pairs, the upper two below the costa, the other two in the middle of the disc, the upper and lower portions of the wing paler than the centre portion. Hindwing with a very prominent, curiously-shaped silvery band, which extends from the base where it is narrow, suddenly broadens, has a point upwards and a lobe downwards, then narrows somewhat and turns upwards and expands into a large lobe near the middle of the costa; a small silvery spot below the band, two angulated, outwardly curved pale whitish indistinct lines, from the abdominal margin across the wing, ante and post medial, also terminal and sub-terminal indistinct whitish lines, anal lobe black, with a long somewhat spatulate tail, black tipped with white at the end of the internal vein. Antennae black, the tips pale orange-red; head and body black above, brown beneath; palpi white beneath, eyes ringed with white. Female. Upperside varying in colour from purplish -brown to bright shining blue, with black borders, varying very much in width in different specimens. Underside like the male, but all the markings larger and more prominent, a medium-sized filamentous tail at the end of vein 2, in addition to the tail at the anal lobe.
— Charles Swinhoe, Lepidoptera Indica. Vol. VIII[2]

Subspecies

Iraota timoleon arsaces (Fruhstorfer, 1907) (south India - Madhya Pradesh to Kerala)[3]
Iraota timoleon timoleon (Stoll, 1790) (Andaman & Nicobar Island, Odisha, Uttarakhand to North-East India, South China)[3][1]
Iraota timoleon nicevillei (Butler, 1901) (Sri Lanka)[1]
Iraota timoleon wickii (Eliot, 1980) (Malaysia)[1]

References

Savela, Markku. "Iraota timoleon (Stoll, [1790])". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
Public Domain One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Swinhoe, Charles (1910–1911). Lepidoptera Indica. Vol. VIII. London: Lovell Reeve and Co. pp. 132–134.
Varshney, R.K.; Smetacek, Peter (2015). A Synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India. New Delhi: Butterfly Research Centre, Bhimtal & Indinov Publishing, New Delhi. p. 206. doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.3966.2164. ISBN 978-81-929826-4-9.