Logania watsoniana
Encyclopedia
The Watson's Mottle is a small but striking butterfly found in India that belongs to the Lycaenids or Blues
family.
Female upperside: similar to that of the male, but differs as follows:—Fore wing: base outwardly to beyond the cell strongly suffused with bluish grey, only the upper apex of the white area with the ground-colour distinctly showing through; apex and termen more broadly and more densely black. Hindwing: entirely bluish grey, the costal margin broadly irrorated with dusky scales. Underside : as in the male, but the costa, apex and termen broadly in the fore wing, as well as the whole surface of the hind wing, mottled with brownish; the scaling of this colour forms irregular spots and patches especially on the hind wing, which has a blotched appearance compared with the same wing in the male. The basal fuscous cloud extends into the medial white area in the fore wing as in the male. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen similar to those of the male.
Lycaenidae
The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies...
family.
Description
Male Upperside: white. Fore wing: apex and termen very broadly brownish black, the inner margin of the black area angulated outwards in the middle of interspace 3, the basal third of the wing suffused with very pale greyish-blue, the costal and dorsal margins up to the black area sullied with pale brownish. Hind wing: the costal area from base to termen in a line above the cell brownish black, the white on the posterior half of the wing more or less stained and sullied with brownish. Underside: white. Fore wing: costa and apex mottled with brownish, termen broadly brownish black, cell from base with a broad diffuse fuscous patch that extends below the median vein and outwards on to the disc. Hind wing: densely and more or less uniformly mottled with fuscous brownish-black. Antennae, head, thorax aud abdomen fuscous brown above and beneath.—Female upperside: similar to that of the male, but differs as follows:—Fore wing: base outwardly to beyond the cell strongly suffused with bluish grey, only the upper apex of the white area with the ground-colour distinctly showing through; apex and termen more broadly and more densely black. Hindwing: entirely bluish grey, the costal margin broadly irrorated with dusky scales. Underside : as in the male, but the costa, apex and termen broadly in the fore wing, as well as the whole surface of the hind wing, mottled with brownish; the scaling of this colour forms irregular spots and patches especially on the hind wing, which has a blotched appearance compared with the same wing in the male. The basal fuscous cloud extends into the medial white area in the fore wing as in the male. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen similar to those of the male.