COMMON CERULEAN

                    COMMON CERULEAN

CLASSIFICATION

• Kingdom - Animalia
• Phylum -Arthropoda
• Class-Insecta
• Order-Lepidoptera
• Family -Lycaenidae
• Genus-Jamides
• Species -Jamides celeno

INTRODUCTION
  Jamides celeno is a small butterfly that belongs to family Lycaenids.Cerulean is the most widespread member of genus Jamides.

• Common name-Common Cerulean

DISTRIBUTION
  Common Cerulean is occuring in Sri Lanka,India,Assam,Burma,Thailand,Malaysia,JavaThaiwan,Philippines,Singapore

HABITAT
  It can be found in all the habitats. Mostly found at edges of the nature reserves,wastelands,dense forests and also gardens.They can be found in all climatic zones throughout the year.

HABIT
  It is an active butterfly, but it's flight somewhat weak .They mostly settle on the tip of the leaves.

MORPHOLOGY
  Normally wingspan of this butterfly is about 30-35mm.Their upper sides of wings are uniform pale and undersides are light brownish grey both in male and female.But there are some differences in male and female.In male there is a narrow black sub marginal band on the forewing.But in female forewing apex is black and marginal band is wider than male.In male hind wing has row of small black spots.Its underside is buff with small blackspots.In female's sub marginal spots are on the upper surface. Both have tiny tails in their wings and they help to protect from predators.

FEEDING
  They feed on the nectar of wild flowers ,herbs and small bushes.
Host plants-     
             Pongamia pinnata
             Pongamia glabra
             Abrus precatorius
             Saraca indica

REPRODUCTION
  Ceruleans laid their eggs on the leaves.Eggs are small ,discoid shaped and pale green in colour.They laid them singly.Eggs take 2-3days for hatching.Young caterpillar pale yellowish in colour and cylindrical in shape.It has black colour  cylindrical head capsule.There are few steps in maturing of caterpillar.In this, caterpillar reaches 1mm to 14mm.Finally, this caterpillar starts to gradually shinks and decolourises.Then it makes a pupa.The pupa has the typical lycaenid shape and pale yellowish brown in base colour. Its length about 9-10mm. After it becomes matured cerulean came out.