''Ionolyce helicon'', the pointed lineblue, or bronze lineblue, is a small

butterfly 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 ...

found in the Indomalayan realm that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family.

Description

Dorsal surface of male dark purple and without markings. Whereas in female, dorsum brownish with a bluish-purple tinge at the wing bases. Ventral surface of both wings with dull greyish-brown and white striae. Eye spot at tornus tipped with orange ring. There is a fine white-tipped tail. Caterpillar greenish with pale green markings. Host plants are ''

Allophylus cobbe ''Allophylus cobbe'', commonly known as titberry or Indian allophylus, is a pantropical, shrub in the family Sapindaceae with many uses in traditional medicine. It has a highly variable morphology throughout its range and may prove to be more th ...

'' and ''

Entada phaseoloides ''Entada phaseoloides'' commonly named the box bean or St. Thomas’ bean, first described by Linnaeus, with its current name described by Merrill. ''E. phaseoloides'' is a liana in the pea family: called ''gugo'', ''balugo'' or ''tamayan'' in ...

''. Pupa mottled brown with dark markings.

Subspecies

There are eight subspecies including nominate race. * ''Ionolyce helicon brunnea'' (Evans, 1932) - Andaman & Nicobar Is. (Andamans). * ''Ionolyce helicon caracalla'' (Waterhouse & Lyell, 1914) - Waigeu, Misool, West Irian - Papua, Darnley I., New Britain, New Ireland * ''Ionolyce helicon helicon'' Felder, 1860 * ''Ionolyce helicon hyllus'' (Waterhouse & Lyell, 1914) -Australia (Cape York - Cooktown) * ''Ionolyce helicon javanica'' Toxopeus, 1929 - Java * ''Ionolyce helicon kondulana'' (Evans, 1932) - Andaman & Nicobar Is. (South Nicobars). * ''Ionolyce helicon merguiana'' Moore, 1884 - Sikkim to N.E. India, S.Burma, Thailand - Singapore, Sumatra, ?Borneo, S.Yunnan * ''Ionolyce helicon viola'' (Moore, 1877) - Sri Lanka, south India

References

Butterflies of Asia Butterflies of Sri Lanka Butterflies described in 1860 Polyommatini Fauna of Pakistan {{Polyommatini-stub