Acytolepis puspa (Horsfield, [1828]) - Common Hedge Blue

Subspecies in India

(1) Acytolepis puspa gisca (Fruhstorfer, 1910) – Himalayan Common Hedge Blue
Three other names are commonly listed as subspecies of puspa: felderi Toxopeus, 1927, cyanescens (de Nicéville, 1890), and prominens (de Nicéville, 1890). The southern Indian population is often given under the subspecies name felderi, following provisional placement by Eliot and Kawazoé (1983). However, felderi completely overlaps in phenotype with gisca, which is an older and valid name.
 

Conservation and Special status

This species is not legally protected in India under any schedules of WildLife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Photo Gallery and Species Biology

StateJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNo date
Andaman and Nicobar Islands UT
Andhra Pradesh1
Arunachal Pradesh43161
Assam131322
Bihar
Chandigarh
Chhattisgarh121154111
Dadra & Nagar Haveli UT
Daman & Diu UT
Delhi
Goa11
Gujarat1
Haryana
Himachal Pradesh111
Jammu and Kashmir UT11
Jharkhand1
Karnataka1051011310512423117
Kerala1021174945
Ladakh UT
Lakshadweep
Madhya Pradesh23932
Maharashtra1438287357652304241
Manipur1
Meghalaya111111
Mizoram1
Nagaland121
Odisha211
Puducherry UT
Punjab
Rajasthan
Sikkim1453222
Tamil Nadu311332
Tripura
Uttar Pradesh1
Uttarakhand11462
West Bengal111213
Total344845171730279410010310173
Shorea roxburghii (Smetacek & Smetacek 2011) (Dipterocarpaceae). Cratoxylum cochinchinense (Wynter-Blyth 1957; Kunte 2000), Moullava spicata (Saji et al. 2018), Paracalyx scariosus (Wynter-Blyth 1957; Kunte 2000; Robinson et al. 2010), Peltophorum pterocarpum (P. Churi pers. obs. 2017), Xylia xylocarpa (Davidson et al. 1896; Wynter-Blyth 1957; Kunte 2000; Robinson et al. 2010) (Fabaceae). Hiptage benghalensis (Wynter-Blyth 1957; Kunte 2000), Hiptage madablota (Robinson et al. 2010) (Malpighiaceae). Bridelia retusa (V.C. Balakrishnan pers. obs. 2017), Bridelia stipularis (V.C. Balakrishnan pers. obs. 2017)(Phyllanthaceae). Lepisanthes tetraphylla (Saji et al. 2018), Schleichera oleosa (Davidson et al. 1896; Wynter-Blyth 1957; Kunte 2000), Schleichera trijuga (Robinson et al. 2010) (Sapindaceae). The southern Indian populations are often given under the subspecies name felderi, following provisional placement by Eliot and Kawazoé (1983). However, felderi completely overlaps in phenotype with gisca, which is an older and valid name.

Key Reference:
Nitin, R., V. C. Balakrishnan, P. V. Churi, S. Kalesh, S. Prakash, and K. Kunte. 2018. Larval host plants of the butterflies of the Western Ghats, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 10:11495–11550.

For the complete list of larval host plants of Indian butterflies, see the page on larval host plants.

 

Page citation

Saji, K., H. Ogale, A. Soman, P. Churi, S. Mazumder, and K. Kunte 2023. Acytolepis puspa (Horsfield, [1828]) – Common Hedge Blue. In Kunte, K., S. Sondhi, and P. Roy (Chief Editors). Butterflies of India, v. 4.12. Published by the Indian Foundation for Butterflies. URL: https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/acytolepis-puspa, accessed 2023/06/06.