Lepidoptera > Papilionoidea > Lycaenidae > Polyommatinae > Polyommatini > Tongeia
Tongeia kala (de Nicéville, 1890) – Black Cupid
Subspecies in India:
This species is legally protected in India under Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.- Photo Gallery
- Early stages
- Distribution
- Identification
- Status, Habitat and Habits
- Larval Host Plants
- References
Tongeia kala – Black Cupid
Wingspan: 20-25mm. Tailed. UP: dark brown, cilia white, checkered with black. Black marks cell-end. UN: small but prominent basal, discal, submarginal, marginal and cell-end black or dark brown spots, all conspicuously edged white. Submarginal spots on HW tornus are orange-reddish to a lesser or greater degree (Wynter-Blyth 1957).
This species is legally protected in India under Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Rare. The sighting reported here (BOI media code aq268) was made on the road between Dzulekie and Benreu in Nagaland, between 1,450 and 1,720m asl, on a bright, sunny day. The butterfly was mud-puddling on the road amongst other butterflies.
Jeratthitikul et al. 2011. Life history and morphology of the Black Cupid butterfly, Tongeia kala (de Niceville) (Lycaenidae), from Myanmar. Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society, 65(3):167–174.
Wynter-Blyth, M. A. 1957. Butterflies of the Indian Region. The Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai. 523pp + 72 pls.
Lepidoptera > Papilionoidea > Lycaenidae > Polyommatinae > Polyommatini > Tongeia
Cite this page along with its URL as:
Venkatesh, V. 2019. Tongeia kala (de Nicéville, 1890) – Black Cupid. Kunte, K., S. Sondhi, and P. Roy (Chief Editors). Butterflies of India, v. 2.61. Indian Foundation for Butterflies.
http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/sp/2144/Tongeia-kala
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