Lamnamkok NP, Chiang Rai, Thailand
Family : Lycaenidae
Sub-Family : Lycaeninae
Species : Heliophorus epicles latilimbata
Distributed widely from Nepal, through India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, northern Thailand, Laos, and southern China. It is a small butterfly with a wingspan of 22-27mm. Although this picture shows the attractive yellow and red underwings, this species gets its common name from the male upperwings which are brown with large purple areas and some marginal orange markings on the hindwings. Habitat is sunlit forest edges and scrub up to around 2000m asl. Males are very territorial and defend their territory vigorously.
Not much appears to be known about the lifecycle of this species but the larval foodplant in Thailand is Polygonum chinense (Chinese Knotweed), a member of the Polygonaceae family.
All my insect pics are single, handheld shots of live insects.
Loading contexts...
