Himalayan Purple Saphire

Thanks suzybousa for liking it.

Thanks for the like, Agnes.

Thanks Reza, Rob, AprilPerry, LuckyLogan, Student, Fyn Kynd, outsidegirl0, Billo, venusflytrap2000, Marta, rams4D and Dilan for making it favourite.

Thanks bg11a1 for the comment and making it favourite.

Unbelievable

Thanks Daniele and Rob for the lead. This specimen just matches Daniele's ref. In fact, one Krushnamegh Kunte, 2011, had spotted this specimen some 70km away at Rongli (not Rangli), East Sikkim. So we'll go with Daniele's ref of Kunte: Himalayan epicles latilimbata.

Hi Dr, It was kind of a tentative possibly, yours is found at the same elevation as my spottings, this I find interesting.

Hi Rob! Heliophorus ila doesn't appear on the list of Indian butterflies. EOL also doesn't map it there:
http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/home
http://eol.org/pages/260602/maps

Hi Dr,
Lycaenidae, Heliophorus, possibly Heliophorus ila

Have seen a few here (Northern Thailand) over the past couple of weeks, not got around to posting yet.

http://www.thaibugs.com/wp-content/galle...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bingo5899/...
http://www.pbase.com/image/102371683

Hi Dr. Sherpa! I think the markings on this butterfly make it a Purple Sapphire (Heliophorus epicles) or a Dark Sapphire (Heliophorus indicus), not a Golden Sapphire. There's also a similar Kohima Sapphire (Heliophorus kohimensis). See for yourself and see what others say:
http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/#!/sp/7...
http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/#!/sp/7...
http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/#!/sp/1...
http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/#!/sp/1...