Cycad Blue (Chilades pandava)

OTHER NAMES: Plains Cupid

Latin Etymology: Chilades (?) pandava (?)

Adult Cycad Blue (subspecies C. p. pandava) at Kuala Lumpur - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: Chilades pandava pandava
Wingspan: 25-30mm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

A small blue butterfly found in India and South-East Asia, it is one one of the few species of butterfly to breed on cycads.  It has subtle distinctive appearances for the broods from wet or dry seasons.  Seemingly a very robust species in terms of human disturbance, I found them in a heavily managed parkland in the centre of Kuala Lumpur.

Related Species: 
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Chilades
SUBSPECIES: C. p. pandava, C. p. vapanda, C. p. lanka

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - A fairly common resident

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: A several seen in Kuala Lumpur

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto