Unni, these are all Common Hedge Blues (Acytolepis puspa). Notice the basal spot in space 7 on HW, and orientation of discal spots on FW, among other key characters mentioned by Evans. Here are pictures of specimens similar to yours for comparison:
http://ifoundbutterflies.org/3-lepidoptera/acytolepis-puspa-dp2 We can add your pictures to this page if you want to contribute them. These pictures will also add spot records. Sinhalese Hedge Blue (Udara singalensis) has been reported from the Western Ghats by de Niceville, Bingham and Gaonkar but Eliot and Kawazoe (1983) think that the de Niceville-Bingham record was “probably wrong” (they could not find any specimens in Natural History Museum, London). I do not know where the Gaonkar record comes from. Maybe he collected specimens himself or found some missed by Eliot and Kawazoe in NHML or elsewhere. Until I see proof for the Western Ghats record, I would treat this species a Sri Lankan endemic, as Evans and Wynter-Blyth did. Krushnamegh. ________________________________ From: Unni Pulikkal <[email protected]> Reply-To: butterflyindia <[email protected]> Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:29:08 -0400 To: butterflyindia <[email protected]> Subject: [ButterflyIndia] Singhalese Hedge Blue_Western Ghats Dear friends, I am curious to know about records of Singhalese Hedge Blue from Western Ghats and equally curious to see pictures. Here are two pics which I doubt are SHB. My points are: 1. Submarginal lunules and spots 2. Basal spot in space 1b on UNH 3. UNH discal spot in 6 is very close to bar end-cell 4. spots in 4 and 2 UNH are nearly equal in length I have attached a picture of Common Hedge Blue for comparison. Words from KK, IK, Ullasa etc will be of great help. Happiness to you! unni www.imagery.in <http://www.imagery.in> ................................................. Dr.Unni Krishnan Pulikkal ARPS Pady P.O., Kodaly, Thrissur Dt., Kerala, India PIN.680699 Cell: 9446508102 Res: +91 480 2740735 ................................................. The Butterfly Art Foundation, India www.bafindia.org <http://www.bafindia.org> ................................................. -- Enjoy
