♂ (ws), Chiang Mai, Thailand.		♀ (ds), Chiang Mai, Thailand.
♂ (ds), Chiang Mai, Thailand.		♂ (ws), Nan, Thailand.
♂ (ws), Xieng Khouang, Laos. (photo by H.Onodera)		♂ genitalia, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

ON : Ilerda epicles indicus Fruhstorfer, 1908 OD : Ent. Zeit. 22(12): 49. TL : Sikkim. (NHML) Distribution : Sikkim, Bhutan, Assam, Myanmar, N.Thailand, Laos, Vietnam.

[ THAILAND ]
Heliophorus indicus ; Pinratana,1981 : 72, pl.11, figs.26,♂,27,♂(Un). (Chiang Mai; 'Loei')
Heliophorus indicus ; Ek-Amnuay,[2007] : 592, pl.267, figs.L166,♂,♂(Un),♀,♀(Un). (Chiang Mai; 'Wiang Pa Pao')
Heliophorus indicus ; Ek-Amnuay,2012 : 618, pl.280, figs.L190,♂,♂(Un),♀,♀(Un). (Chiang Mai; 'Wiang pa Pao')
Heliophorus indicus ; Kimura et al.,2014 : 151, figs.♂,♂(Un),♂,♂(Un),♀,♀(Un). (Doi Pha Hom Pok; 'Doi Suthep'; Doi Inthanon)
Heliophorus indicus ; S.Sophonviwatkul, C.Sunthornwiphat & T.Laola,2015- : Butterflies of Thailand, figs. (Chiang Mai) (accessed: 2023.05.20)

[ LAOS ]
Heliophorus indicus  ssp. ; Motono & Negishi,1989 : 73, pl.104, fig.B1,♂(Un). (Luang Prabang)
Heliophorus indicus ; Osada, Uémura & Uehara,1999 : 216. pl.112, figs.♂,♀. (Lak Sao)
Heliophorus indicus ; Onodera,2009b : 37. (Xieng Kouang: Nam Noen; Houaphan: Phu Phan)
Heliophorus indicus ; Nakamura & Wakahara,2012 : 52.
Heliophorus indicus ; Onodera,2022 : 84, pl.214, figs.♂,♂(Un),♀,♀(Un). (Houaphan: Phou Pan; Xiengkhouang: Phou Samsoum)

[ VIETNAM ]
Heliophorus indicus ; Yago et al.,2005 : 366, 369, fig.2,♂,♀,♂(Un), 370, fig.10,(Immature Stages). (Deo Bao Loc)
'Heliophorus ila ; Monastyrskii et al.,2006 : 43. (Thua Thien Hue: A Luoi)'
Heliophorus ila nolus ; Miyazaki, Saito & Saito,2006d : 60, figs.L-71,♂,♀. (Lam Dong: Dambri; Dai Duc Me; Gung Re)
Heliophorus indicus ; Monastyrskii & Devyatkin,2015 : 55. (N: Ha Giang / C: Lam Dong)

[ THAILAND ]
Chiang Mai : 9♂ 1♀ (incl. photo).

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Nan : 1♂.

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[ LAOS ]
Xieng Khouang : 3♂ (incl. photo by H.Onodera).

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Houaphan : 2♂ (photo by H.Onodera).

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Bolikhamxai : 1♂ (photo by H.Onodera).

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The butterfly is locally not rare in montane forests at high elevations (Alt. 1600 - 1800m) and occurs sympatrically with ila and brahma. Males are territorial on shrubs or undergrowth.
One of the characteristics of this species was considered to be the absence of orange patch on the UpF of males. However, one male from Xieng Khouang, Laos, showed obscure orange patch in spaces 4 and 5 on the UpF. Whether such an individual appears very rarely, or whether it is an aberrantion, further research and collection of materials are needed.
This species, ila and epicles of this region are very similar, and it is difficult to identify them by markings. Examination of genitalia is necessary for accurate identification. It is highly likely that some of the past records misidentify the approximated species. I tentatively treat all populations in this area as indicus, however further taxonomic study is needed.

Enlarged photo of the UpF and genitalia of the above Xieng Khouang specimen
♂, 2016.10.08, Xieng Khouang, Laos. (photo by H.Onodera & J.Uehara)

Fruhstorfer, H., 1908 : Lepidopterologisches Pêle-Mêle. I. Neue ostasiatische Rhopaloceren.
Ent. Zeit. 22(12): 48-49. (20.Jun.1908)

Eliot, J.N.,1963 : The Heliophorus epicles (Godart, 1823) (Lepidoptera : Lycaenidae) Complex.
Entomologist 96(1203): 169-180, 14 figs.

Yago, M., Wakabayashi, M., Tanaka, B. & Monastyrskii, A.L.,2005 : Species biodiversity and life histories of the genus Heliophorus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) in Vietnam.
Report on Insect Inventory Project in Tropic Asia (TAIIV)(2005): 365-370.

♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand.	♂ with Orthomiella rantaizana, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
♂ (territorial behavior), Chiang Mai, Thailand.	♂, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

1999.07.11 - 2023.05.31.