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Polyommatus stoliczkanus
in Reise der Österreichischen Fregatte Novara
P.s. arene
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Polyommatus
Species:	P. stoliczkanus
Binomial name
Polyommatus stoliczkanus (Felder & Felder, )
Synonyms
Lycaena stoliczkana C. & R. Felder, Lycaena ariana var. arene Fawcett, 1904 Polyommatus eros janetae Evans, 1927

Polyommatus stoliczkanus is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found from the western Himalayas to Nepal.

Description

L. stoliczkanuis very variable in size and in the markings of the underside. On the whole considerably larger than the preceding insects, above a very brilliant violet-blue, in the shade of icarus but with a broader black margin and sometimes with a distinct discocellular spot on the forewing. Underside Iighter and more diffuse than in most other species of this group, the red-yellow submarginal markings sometimes absent or very pale, hardly noticeable; on the other hand the underside is much more variegated with white, on the centre of the hindwing, around the ocelli and before the margin, the last being occasionally broadly white. From Kashmir. — ariana Moore (80e), which name Bingham treats as a synonym, are according to Staudinger and Rebel the larger specimens, such as are found typically beyond the boundary of the Palearctic territory in North India, but occur also already in Southern Kashmir. — hunza Gr.-Grsh. (80) are very large specimens with almost entirely white underside, the ocelli and russet-coloured marginal spots being reduced to weak vestiges; from the Pamir. — A very remarkable form has been discovered a few years ago at Khamba-Yong (Tibet):Fawc. The hindwing beneath bears only one ocellus, which is placed below the centre of the costal margin; at the apex of the cell there is a white triangular smear, towards which another is directed from the middle of the outer margin. Distal margin beneath white, with minute black dots, before it a russet-red lunate line. — This species is widely distributed, being in Kashmir the commonest Blue and going up to 15500 ft. in the Pamir. In the north of its area it flies on pastures in high situations, in June and July; in the south it appears to occur everywhere and throughout the year.

Subspecies

• Polyommatus stoliczkanus stoliczkanus
• Polyommatus stoliczkanus arene (Fawcett, 1904) (Tibet)
• Polyommatus stoliczkanus janetae Evans, 1927 (western Himalayas)

References

1. Polyommatus at Markku Savela's website on Lepidoptera
2. Felder, C. & Felder, R. 1865–75. Lepidoptera. In Reise der Osterreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde in der Jahren 1857, 1858, 1859 under den Befehlen Commadore B. von Wüllerstorf-Urbair Zoologischer Theil. Zweiter Band: Abtheilung. Vienna, 549 pp., 140 pls.
3. Seitz. A. in Seitz, A. ed. Band 1: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen Tagfalter, 1909, 379 Seiten, mit 89 kolorierten Tafeln (3470 Figuren) This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

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• Butterflies described in 1865
• Polyommatus
• Butterflies of Asia
• Taxa named by Cajetan von Felder
• Taxa named by Rudolf Felder
• Polyommatini stubs