Tajuria illurgioides

Tajuria illurgioides Nicéville, 1890


♀ (dsf), 1984.04.05. Chiang Mai, Thailand.		♀, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

♂, 2008.07.--. Lao Cai, Vietnam. (photo by K.Saito)		♀, 2008.07.--. Ha Giang, Vietnam. (photo by K.Saito)

ON : Tajuria illurgioides Nicéville, 1890
OD : Butt. India Burmah Ceylon. 3:375-376, pl.28, fig.218,♀.
TL : 'Naini Tal, [Kumaon, Uttarakhand, NW.India]; Kurseong, [Darjeeling, N.India]'. (NZC)

Distribution : NW.India to Myanmar, N.Thailand, Laos, N.Vietnam.

Type Materials Information

Types 1♂, 15.Jul.1887. Nainital, [Kumaon, Uttarakhand, NW.India]. 6500ft. Coll. A.M.Lang (NZC), 1♀, Aug.1883. Kurseong, [Darjeeling, N.India]. Wylly (NZC) ; Sheela et al.,2019 : 167, figs.♂,♂(Un),♀,♀(Un).

Records taken from Literature

[ THAILAND ]
Tajuria illurgioides ; Schröder,2006 : 97-98, figs.15,♀,16,♀(Un). (Doi Pha Hom Pok)
Tajuria illugioides [sic] ; Ek-Amnuay,[2007] : 686, pl.313, figs.L355,♂,♂(Un). (Doi Pha Hom Pok)
Tajuria illugioides [sic] ; Ek-Amnuay,2012 : 726, pl.332, figs.L378,♂,♂(Un). (Doi Pha Hom Pok; Doi Inthanon)
Tajuria illugioides [sic] ; Kimura et al.,2014 : 115, figs.♂,♂(Un),♂,♂(Un),♀,♀(Un). (Doi Pha Hom Pok; Doi Inthanon)

[ LAOS ]
Tajuria illurgioides ; Osada, Uémura & Uehara,1999 : 218. pl.125, figs.♂,♀(Un). (Xam Neua)
Tajuria illurgioides ; Nakamura & Wakahara,2012 : 55.
Tajuria illurgioides ; Onodera,2022 : 94, pl.228, figs.♀,♀(Un). (Xiengkhouang: Phou Samsoum)

[ VIETNAM ]
Tajuria illurgioides ; Saito & Inayoshi,2018 : 37, figs.94,♂,♂(Un),95,♀,♀(Un). (Lao Cai)

Specimens Examined

[ THAILAND ]
Chiang Mai : 6♀.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

[ LAOS ]
Xieng Khouang : 1♀ (photo by H.Onodera).

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

[ VIETNAM ]
Ha Giang : 1♀.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Lao Cai : 1♂.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Notes

The butterfly is uncommon in montane forests at high elevations (Alt. 1600 - 2600m) and is occasionally found at hilltops.
Huang (2022:148-149) found the holotype of Maneca bhotea unnanensis Yoshino, 2001 to belong to Tajuria and treated it as a synonym of illurgioides. I agree that it belongs to Tajuria, but the appearance of the specimen is quite different from illurgioides. Therefore, this taxon will be pending until comparisons with more specimens and the male genitalia have been examined. Further taxonomic and distributional studies are needed.

Literature

Nicéville, L. de,1890 : The butterflies of India, Burmah and Ceylon. A descriptive handbook of all the known species of rhopalocerous Lepidoptera inhabiting that region, with notices of allied species occurring in the neighbouring countries along the border, with numerous illustrations. Volume III (Lycaenidae).
Calcutta Central Press 4 to : xii + 503 pp, frontispiece, pls.25-29.

Yoshino, K.,2001 : New Butterflies from China 6
Futao 38:9-16, pls.3,4.

Huang, H.,2022 : Taxonomy and morphology of Chinese butterflies 2
Lycaenidae: Theclinae: Iolaini: Genera Tajuria Moore, 1881, Pratapa Moore, 1881, Dacalana Moore, 1884, Maneca de Nicéville,1890, Creon de Nicéville, 1896 and Bullis de Nicéville, 1897 (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)
Atalanta 53(1/2):136-199.

1999.07.18 - 2023.09.30.