THE PLAIN PALM DART

THUS FAR THE BUTTERFLY COUNT FROM THE WESTERN GHATS HAS BEEN 333. WITH OUR FINDING OF THE PLAIN PALM DART CEPHRENES PALMARUM THE COUNT WILL SOON OFFICIALLY GO UP BY ONE. THE DISTRIBUTIONAL RANGE OF THE PLAIN PALM DART HAD EARLIER BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THE WEST BENGAL, TO MYANMAR, JAVA, PHILIPPINES AND THE ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS.THE BUTTERFLY WAS RECENTLY DISCOVERED BY US AT THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, KERALA . THE MALE OF THIS BUTTERFLY IS EASILY CONFUSED WITH TELICOTA GENUS THE PALMDARTS- TELICOTA COLON PALE PALM DART AND TELICOTA ANCILLA THE DARK PALM DART,BOTH OF WHICH ARE QUITE COMMON IN THESE PARTS. FEMALES ARE UNMISTAKABLE.BUT THE SIMILARITIES ARE ONLY SUPERFICIAL. A CLOSER STUDIY REVEALS THE DIFFERENCES.