List of butterflies of Tamil Nadu

This is a list of butterfly species found in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In this state 328 species of butterflies are expected to be found.

Family Papilionidae edit

There are 19 species recorded.

Subfamily Papilioninae edit

Genus Graphium (Pathysa)—swordtails, zebras edit

Genus Graphium (Graphium)—bluebottles and jays edit

Genus Atrophaneura (Pachliopta)—roses edit

Genus Troides—birdwings edit

Genus Papilio (Chilasa)—mimes edit

Genus Papilio (Papilio)—swallowtails edit

Family Pieridae edit

There are 32 species recorded.

Subfamily Pierinae—whites edit

Genus Pieris—whites edit

Genus Anaphaeis—pioneers edit

Genus Cepora—gulls edit

Genus Ixias—Indian orange tips edit

Genus Delias—Jezebels edit

Genus Prioneris—sawtooths edit

Genus Appias—puffins and albatrosses edit

Genus Leptosia—Psyche edit

  • Psyche, Leptosia nina Fabricius, 1793

Genus Hebomoia—great orange tip edit

Genus Colotis—Arabs edit

Genus Pareronia—wanderers edit

Subfamily Coliadinae—yellows edit

Genus Catopsilia—emigrants edit

Genus Eurema—grass yellows edit

Genus Colias—clouded yellows edit

Family Nymphalidae edit

Subfamily Libytheinae edit

Genus Libythea—beaks edit

Subfamily Danainae edit

Genus Parantica—glassy tigers edit

Genus Tirumala—blue tigers edit

Genus Danaus—tigers edit

Genus Euploea—crows edit

Genus Idea—tree nymphs edit

Subfamily Charaxinae edit

Genus Charaxes—rajahs edit

Genus Polyura—nawabs edit

Subfamily Morphinae edit

Genus Discophora—duffers edit

Subfamily Satyrinae edit

Genus Mycalesis—bushbrowns edit

Genus Lethe—treebrowns edit

Genus Ypthima—rings edit

Genus Zipaetis—catseyes edit

Genus Orsotriaena—nigger edit

  • Nigger, Orsotriaena medus (Fabricius, 1775)

Genus Melanitis—evening browns edit

Genus Elymnias—palmflies edit

Subfamily Heliconiinae edit

Genus Vindula—cruiser edit

  • Cruiser, Vindula erota Fabricius, 1793

Genus Cirrochroa—yeomen edit

Genus Cupha—rustic edit

  • Rustic, Cupha erymanthis (Drury, 1773)

Genus Phalanta—leopards edit

Genus Argynnis—fritillaries edit

Genus Cethosia—lacewings edit

Subfamily Acraeinae edit

Genus Acraea—tawny coster edit

Subfamily Limenitidinae edit

Genus Limenitis—admirals edit

Genus Athyma—sergeants edit

Genus Pantoporia—lascars edit

Genus Neptis—sailers edit

Genus Parthenos—clipper edit

  • Clipper, Parthenos sylvia (Cramer, 1775)

Genus Euthalia—barons edit

Genus Tanaecia—counts edit

Genus Dophla—dukes edit

Subfamily Cyrestinae edit

Genus Cyrestis—map butterflies edit

Subfamily Biblidinae edit

Genus Ariadne—castors edit

Genus Byblia—joker edit

  • Joker, Byblia ilithyia (Drury, 1773)

Subfamily Apaturinae edit

Genus Rohana edit

Genus Euripus—courtesans edit

Subfamily Nymphalinae edit

Genus Vanessa—admirals, painted lady edit

Genus Kaniska edit

Genus Junonia—pansies edit

Genus Hypolimnas—eggflies edit

Genus Kallima—oakleafs edit

Genus Doleschallia—autumn leaf edit

  • Autumn leaf, Doleschallia bisaltide malabarica (Cramer, 1777)

Family Riodinidae edit

Subfamily Nemeobiinae edit

Genus Abisara—Judies edit

Family Lycaenidae edit

Subfamily Curetinae edit

Genus Curetis—sunbeams edit

Subfamily Miletinae edit

Genus Spalgis—apefly edit

  • Apefly, Spalgis epius (Westwood, 1851) (L6.1)

Subfamily Polyommatinae edit

Genus Talicada—red Pierrot edit

Genus Castalius—common Pierrot edit

Genus Caleta—angled Pierrot edit

Genus Discolampa—banded blue Pierrot edit

Genus Tarucus—blue Pierrots edit

Genus Syntarucus—zebra blue edit

Genus Azanus—babul blues edit

Genus Neopithecops—Quaker edit

  • Quaker, Neopithecops zalmora Butler 1870 (L15.1)

Genus Megisba—Malayan edit

  • Malayan, Megisba malaya (Horsfield, 1828) (H20.1, p. 220)

Genus Celastrina—hedge blues edit

Genus Acytolepis—hedge blues edit

Genus Akasinula—white hedge blue edit

Genus Cyaniris—hedge blues edit

Genus Polyommatus—meadow blues edit

Genus Chilades—lime blue edit

Genus Luthrodes—Cupids edit

Genus Zizeeria—grass blues edit

Genus Pseudozizeeria—pale grass blue edit

Genus Zizula—tiny grass blue edit

Genus Freyeria—grass jewel edit

Genus Euchrysops—gram blues edit

  • Gram blue, Euchrysops cnejus (Fabricius, 1798) (L23.1)

Genus Anthene—ciliate blues edit

Genus Catochrysops—forget-me-nots edit

Genus Lampides—ceruleans and the peablue edit

  • Peablue, Lampides boeticus (Linnaeus, 1767) (L26.1)

Genus Jamides—ceruleans edit

Genus Nacaduba—lineblues edit

Genus Prosotas—lineblues edit

Genus Petrelea—dingy lineblue edit

Subfamily Theclinae edit

Genus Iraota—silverstreak blues edit

Genus Horsfieldia—leaf blue edit

Genus Thaduka—many-tailed oak-blue edit

Genus Arhopala—oakblues edit

Genus Nilasera—oakblues edit

Genus Panchala—oakblues edit

Genus Narathura—Tamil oakblue edit

Genus Surendra—acacia blue edit

Genus Zinaspa—silver streaked acacia blue edit

Genus Loxura—yamfly edit

  • Yamfly, Loxura atymnus (Cramer, 1782) (L48.1)

Genus Zesius—redspot edit

Genus Pratapa—tufted royals edit

Genus Ancema—royals edit

Genus Creon—broadtail royal edit

Genus Tajuria—royals edit

Genus Ops—branded royal edit

Genus Charana—mandarin blues edit

Genus Cheritra—common imperial edit

Genus Rathinda—monkeypuzzle edit

Genus Horaga—onyxs edit

Genus Catapaecilma—common tinsel edit

Genus Chliaria—tits edit

Genus Zeltus—fluffy tit edit

  • Fluffy tit, Zeltus etolus (Fabricius, 1787) (L68.1)

Genus Deudorix—cornelians edit

  • Cornelian, Deudorix epijarbas (Moore, 1857) (L70.1)

Genus Virachola—guava blues edit

Genus Rapala—flashes edit

Genus Vadebra—Malabar flash edit

Genus Bindahara—plane edit

  • Plane, Bindahara phocides (Fabricius, 1793) (L74.1)

Subfamily Aphnaeinae edit

Genus Cigaritis—silverlines edit

Family Hesperiidae edit

Subfamily Coeliadinae edit

Genus Badamia—brown awl edit

  • Brown awl, Badamia exclamationis (Fabricius, 1775)

Genus Bibasis—orange tailed awl edit

Genus Choaspes—awlkings edit

Genus Hasora—awls edit

Subfamily Hesperiinae edit

Genus Aeromachus—scrub hoppers edit

Genus Ampittia—bush hoppers edit

Genus Arnetta—bobs edit

Genus Baoris—swifts edit

Genus Baracus—hedge hoppers edit

Genus Pseudoborbo—Bevan's swift edit

Genus Borbo—swifts edit

Genus Caltoris—swifts edit

Genus Cupitha—wax dart edit

Genus Gangara—giant redeye edit

Genus Halpe—aces edit

Genus Matapa—branded redeye edit

Genus Notocrypta—demons edit

Genus Parnara edit

Genus Pelopidas—branded swifts edit

Genus Polytremis edit

Genus Potanthus—darts edit

Genus Psolos—coon edit

  • Coon, Psolos fuligo (Mabille, 1876)

Genus Quedara edit

Genus Sovia edit

Genus Suastus—palm bob edit

Genus Taractrocera—grass darts edit

Genus Telicota—palm darts edit

Genus Cephrenes edit

Genus Thoressa—aces edit

Genus Udaspes—grass demon edit

Genus Hyarotis—flitters edit

Genus Oriens—dartlets edit

Subfamily Pyrginae edit

Genus Caprona —angles edit

Genus Celaenorrhinus—flat edit

Genus Cogia edit

Genus Coladenia—pied flats edit

Genus Gerosis—white flat edit

Genus Gomalia edit

Genus Odontoptilum—angles edit

Genus Sarangesa—small flats edit

Genus Spialia —grizzled skippers edit

Genus Tagiades—snow flats edit

Genus Tapena—angles edit

See also edit

Notes edit

References edit

  • Satheesh, N.; Mohanprasath, P. (2018). Butterflies of Tamilnadu (1st ed.). Tamilnadu, India: Hitech Printers & Publishers Private Limited.
  • Kunte, K. (In press.) Checklist of the Butterflies of the Western Ghats, Southwestern India. In K. A. Subramanian (ed.) Diversity and Conservation of Invertebrates in the Western Ghats.
  • Evans, W.H. (1932). The Identification of Indian Butterflies (2nd ed.). Mumbai, India: Bombay Natural History Society.
  • Wynter-Blyth, Mark Alexander (1957). Butterflies of the Indian Region. Bombay, India: Bombay Natural History Society. ISBN 978-8170192329.
  • Gaonkar, Harish (1996). Butterflies of the Western Ghats, India (including Sri Lanka) - A Biodiversity Assessment of a Threatened Mountain System. Bangalore, India: Centre for Ecological Sciences.
  • Larsen, T. B. 1987–88. The butterflies of the Nilgiri Mountains of southern India (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, vol 84 & 85.

External links edit