Indian Cupid

Description:

Dwarf individuals are not uncommon. In males, the upper side on both wings is shiny light blue. The black outer margin is thicker than the upper margin on the forewing, but sometimes the upper margin has no trace of black. All the margins on the hindwing have black bands. In females, the upper side is dark brown with some dispersed greyish blue scales. Some individuals entirely lack blue scales. It has two black tornal spots capped in orange in the sub-marginal band of greyish blue, ill-defined crescent-shaped marks. The color of the underside varies from pure white to buff white. It has two black tornal spots which are heavily capped in orange. Both wings have uniform distal bands and cell end patches consisting of narrow brown lines. On the hindwing, it has two black spots near the upper margin, one on the cell and another one near the lower margin which is absent in some individuals.

Habitat:

In a grassland near my home.

Notes:

It prefers to feed on herbaceous flowers and males engage in mud puddling. Its flight is rather weak and it always flies near the ground. It is common amongst herbaceous weeds in habitats such as wayside vegetation.