''Ionolyce'' is a small genus of

butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises t ...

in the family

Lycaenidae Lycaenidae is the second-largest family of butterflies (behind Nymphalidae, brush-footed butterflies), with over 6,000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 30% of the known butterfly ...

. ''I. helicon'' is widespread in the Indoaustralasian region (

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

to the

Malay Archipelago The Malay Archipelago (Indonesian/ Malay: , tgl, Kapuluang Malay) is the archipelago between mainland Indochina and Australia. It has also been called the " Malay world," " Nusantara", "East Indies", Indo-Australian Archipelago, Spices Arch ...

. ''I selkon'' and ''I.brunnescens'' are both endemic to the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its ca ...

.D'Abrera, B. 1986. ''Butterflies of the Oriental Region'', Part III Lycaenidae & Riodinidae: pp. 536–672. Hill House, Melbourne

Description

Medium-sized blues , the hindwing with a thin, white-tipped tail. The male's upper side is blue violet, the female is brown with scattered blue scales. The underside is brown with fine, white transverse stripes and an orange spot at the rear corner of the hind wing.

Species

*''

Ionolyce brunnescens ''Ionolyce'' is a small genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae. ''I. helicon'' is widespread in the Indoaustralasian region (India to the Malay Archipelago. ''I selkon'' and ''I.brunnescens'' are both endemic to the Solomon Islands.D'Abre ...

'' Tite, 1963 *''

Ionolyce helicon ''Ionolyce helicon'', the pointed lineblue, or bronze lineblue, is a small butterfly found in the Indomalayan realm that belongs to the Lycaenidae, lycaenids or blues family. Description Dorsal surface of male dark purple and without markings. ...

'' (Felder, 1860) *''

Ionolyce selkon ''Ionolyce'' is a small genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae. ''I. helicon'' is widespread in the Indoaustralasian region (India to the Malay Archipelago. ''I selkon'' and ''I.brunnescens'' are both endemic to the Solomon Islands.D'Abre ...

'' Parsons, 1986

References

"''Ionolyce'' Toxopeus, 1929"
at Markku Savela's ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms''

External links

Images representing ''Ionolyce''
at Bold Polyommatini Lycaenidae genera Taxa named by Lambertus Johannes Toxopeus {{Lycaenidae-stub