#8 – Tabby Pseudergolis wedah (Kollar, 1848)

#8 – Tabby Pseudergolis wedah (Kollar, 1848)

The Tabby Pseudergolis wedah is a species of Nymphalid butterfly found in Asia. In India, it is found along the Himalayas where it is somewhat uncommon and extends into Southeast Asia east to Vietnam. The species is represented by two subspecies. In India, the species is represented by Pseudergolis wedah wedah Kollar, 1844. The butterfly is recorded in India from Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh (Kehimkar, 2008; Gogoi, 2012; Sondhi & Kunte 2016). Varshney & Smetacek (2015) mentions that the butterfly is present in NE India but surprisingly there are no confirm records on the presence of these butterfly in the states of NE India (Assam, Manipur and Tripura) (Gogoi, 2013; Sondhi et al., 2013; Lodh & Agarwala, 2015). Karmakar & Sarkar (2016) in the website Butterflies of India by Indian Foundation for Butterflies displayed the photograph of the butterfly from Alipurduar (West Bengal), Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram.

Taxonomic position

Class:                     Insecta

Order:                     Lepidoptera

Family:                  Nymphalidae

Genus:                   Pseudergolis

Species:                 P. wedah

Description:

The sexes of this butterfly are similar. Golden brown in colour and four dark bar in cell of both wings on upperside. Three dark vertical lines beyond cell on upperside of both wings and a row of black spots between the outer two lines. The underside of the wing is light chocolate brown with violet gloss in colour. Forewing apex has square cut.  (Kehimkar, 2008).

Pseudergolis wedah from Kongbamaru, Imphal East district (Photo by: Jatishwor Irungbam)

Food Plants:

The larvae of these butterfly feed on the leaves of Debregeasia bicolor (Urticaceae) (Kehimkar, 2008).

Habits:

Very active butterfly during the day. Often seen settles on the ground or stones or leaves with open wings near the stream or wet ground.  Flies along the streams in hilly areas. Mostly seen in the Himalayas between 400 and 2000 m from April to December (Kehimkar, 2008).

Pseudergolis wedah in group (Photo by: Baleshwor Soibam) 

Sightings in Manipur:

The butterfly seems to be common in most of the parts of Manipur. The butterfly has been sighted from many places during the study.  The butterfly was observed from Kamjong village, Shirui Hills, Ukhrul district; Kongbamaru, Imphal East district; Sadu Chiru, Ereng, Senapati district; Leimaram, Bishnupur district and  Yaingangpokpi Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary, Chandel district.

Reference:

Gogoi, M.J. (2012). Butterflies (Lepidoptera) of Dibang Valley, Mishmi Hills, Arunachal Pradesh, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(12): 3137–3160.

Gogoi, M.J. (2013). A preliminary checklist of butterflies recorded from Jeypore-Dehing forest, eastern Assam, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 5(2): 3684–3696; doi:10.11609/JoTT.o3022.3684-96.

Karmakar, T.  & V.  Sarkar. (2016). Pseudergolis wedah Kollar, 1844 – Tabby. Kunte, K., P. Roy, S. Kalesh and U. Kodandaramaiah (eds.). Butterflies of India, v. 2.24. Indian Foundation for Butterflies. http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/sp/741/Pseudergolis-wedah [Accessed on December 16, 2016]
Kehimkar, I. (2008). The Book of Indian Butterflies. Bombay Natural History Society, 497 pp.

Lodh, R. & B. K. Agarwala (2015). Inventory of butterfly fauna (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) of Tripura, India, in the Indo-Myanmar biogeographical zone, with records of threatened taxa. Check List 11(2): 1-37. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.15560/11.2.1591

Sondhi, S. & K. Kunte (2016). Butterflies (Lepidoptera) of the Kameng Protected Area Complex, western Arunachal Pradesh, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(8): 9053–9124; http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/jott.2984.8.8.9053-9124

Sondhi, S., K. Kunte, G. Agavekar, R. Lovelekar & K. Tokekar. (2013). Butterflies of the Garo Hills. Samrakshan Trust (New Delhi), Titli Trust (Dehradun) and Indian Foundation of Butterflies (Bangaluru). xvi+200 pp.

Varshney, R. K. & P. Smetacek. (2015). A synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India. Butterfly Research Centre, Bhimtal and Indinov Publishing, New Delhi, ii + 261 pp., 8 pl.