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| photo © peter stoeckl |
Tarucus extricatus (Butler, 1886)
Tiny butterflies in the grass at the edge of the lush dry tropical scrub vegetation covering the island. The butterflies were busily climbing up and down and drinking nectar on Vicia blossoms, flying very short distances only, taken in the heat of early afternoon while the group was waiting at the pier for the ferry boat to Mumbai.
From India, at least 318 species of the butterfly familiy of Lycaenidae (Blues) have been described. Most of them are small or even very small butterflies. Between the numerous large and colourful butterflies of the region they are likely to be overlooked in the beginning.
The Rounded Pierrot (Tarucus extricatus) shown here is no exception, but once discovered, its vivid patterns and bizarre shapes are fascinating. The species is reported from the Indian regions of Punjab, Rajasthan, Maharashtra.
Elephanta Island, Maharashtra, 1 November, 2006.