♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand.		♀, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand.		♀, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand.		♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

ON : Caerulea coeligena chengmaica Murayama, 1993 OD : The Nature and Insects 28(9):34, fig.1(HT,♂),(PT,♀). TL : Fang, Chengmai, N.Thailand. Distribution : N.Thailand.

Caerulea coeligena siamensis ; Schröder, 2006 : 101, figs.11(HT,♂),12(HT,♂Un),13(PT,♀),14(PT,♀Un). TL. Doi Pha Hom Pok, Chiang Mai. (ZMFK)

chengmaica :
Holotype ♂, Mar.1992. Fang, Chengmai, North Thailand.
Paratype 1♀, same data as holotype.

siamensis :
Holotype ♂, Mar.2003. Doi Pha Hom Pok, Mae Ai, Phang [Fang] dist., Chiang Mai, North Thailand. Ihle leg. (ZMFK)
Paratypes 5♂ 3♀, same data as holotype. (ZFMK & in coll.Schröder)

[ THAILAND ]
Caerulea coeligena ; Eliot,1987 : 24. (Fang: Doi Pha Hom Pok)
Caerulea coeligena coelestis ; Ek-Amnuay,[2007] : 592, pl.268, figs.L168,♂,♂(Un),♀,♀(Un). (Doi Pha Hom Pok)
Caerulea coeligena coelestis ; Ek-Amnuay,2012 : 614, pl.278, figs.L184,♂,♂(Un),♀,♀(Un). (Doi Pha Hom Pok)
Caerulea coeligena chengmaica ; Kimura et al.,2014 : 194, figs.♂,♂(Un),♀,♀(Un),♀,♀(Un). (Doi Pha Hom Pok)
Caerulea coeligena chengmaica ; S.Sophonviwatkul, C.Sunthornwiphat & T.Laola,2023- : Butterflies of Thailand, figs. (Chiang Mai) (accessed: 2023.05.07)

[ THAILAND ]
Chiang Mai : 20♂ 5♀ (incl. photo).

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

The butterfly is locally common in montane forests at high elevation (Alt. 2000 - 2200m). Both sexes visit flowers.
The host plat seems Gentiana sp. Based on the ecology of related species, it is assumed that the larvae are carried into the ant nest and grow there.
Huang & Cao,2019 placed this taxon as a subspecies of coelestis based on female markings and its isolated distribution. However, the ground color of the upper side of the male is closer to coeligena than coelestis. Therefore I tentatively use the conventional classification. Further taxonomic study is needed.

Murayama, S.,1993 : A butterfly of the Glaucopsyche-group from North Thailand.
The Nature and Insects 28(9):34. (in Japanese)

Schröder, S.,2006 : Some little known lycaenids from the Phang District of northern Thailand (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)
Nachr. entomol. Ver. Apollo, N.F. 27(3):97-102.

Huang, H. & Cao, F.,2019 : A new species of Caerulea Forster,1938 from W.Guizhou (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)
Neue Ent. Nachr. 78:256-364.

♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand.	♀, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand.	♀, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
♀ (laying egg), Chiang Mai, Thailand.
♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand.	eggs, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

1999.07.11 - 2023.06.30.