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NBP was inaugurated by Dr. M.S. Ladania, Director, NRCC Nagpur on 8 April 2015

TINY GRASS BLUE

(Zizula hylax (Fabricius))


Family Lycaenidae

Blues

Tiny Grass Blue is also called as Little Grass Blue. It can be seen around grass and grounds of NEERI but as it is very small in size not easily recognizable many times. This is second smallest butterfly in Indian region.

It's wingspan is 16-24 mm and it is commonly occurring butterfly. The Tiny Grass Blue is found in several races throughout tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia, and Oceania, including India, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Swaziland, north and east coasts of Australia and also in southern Australia. It occurs in a variety of habitats from forest edges to dry, open grasslands. Its flight is weak and close to the ground over glassy patches, settling frequently to feed on flowers.

Sexes differ. Hindwings are tailless, under pale grayish brown with fine, small, distinct, dark brown or black spots. Under forewing has row of discal spots, all well separated and angled inwards, and a bar at end cell. On under hind wing two small costal spots and a spot in the cell next to two more spots near base. Male is pale blue on upper, with narrow black border on upper hind wing and black diffused black border covering most of the apex on upper forewing. Female has no blue scaling.

In the campus can be seen of lantana flowers, Fabaceae flowers.