17. Chilades pandava pandava (The Plains Cupid)

Number:17
Family: Lycaeniidae

Sub-Family: Polyommatiinae

Species: Chilades pandava pandava (Horsfield, [1829])

Common name(s): The Plains Cupid, The Cycad Blue

Photography locations: Ba Vi N.P. (Hanoi), Hanoi City, Cuc Phuong N.P. (Ninh Binh Prov.)

The genus Chilades comprises 23 species worldwide, of which 2 are currently known to occur in Vietnam - pandava and lajus. Both are common Indo-Malayan species, recorded from India to Indonesia.

Chilades pandava is a widespread and fairly common species, found mainly in gardens and parks, along roadsides, and other disturbed areas.

Chilades pandava, Ba Vi foothills 

Male Chilades pandava feeding on Cockscomb (Celosia argentea var. plumosa) flowers (photo taken in downtown Hanoi)

Same male specimen

Upperwings of male are purplish blue with narrow black borders (darker with broad black border in female) 

Female laying eggs (Cuc Phuong, Sept. 2015)