Drupadia hayashii

Drupadia hayashii
Male
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Drupadia
Species:	D. hayashii
Binomial name
Drupadia hayashii Schrőder & Treadaway, 1989

Drupadia hayashii [1] is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found in the Philippines (Tawitawi-Gruppe, Sibutu Isl.). Forewing length:11-15mm. It is rare and very localized Drupadia so far found only on Sibutu Island in small clearings in secondary forest. Normally they are seldom seen in flight and it is necessaty to create movement amongst the bushes and lowest branches of trees in such a clearing in order to disturb these butterflies. Both the male and female are very small and have a weak flight, so it is no surprising that they seldom fly more than 3 to 5 m before they settle on a leaf and then often crawl under it. Since most of the secondary forest on this island has either been cut down or burnt, it is possible that this species is either close to extinction or perhaps already extinct.

References

• Schrőder,Heinz & Treadaway Colin G.,1989: Zur Kenntnis Philippinischer Lycaenidae, 5(Lepidoptera). Ent. Z.. 99(19): 273-275.
• Treadaway, Colin G., 1995: Checklist of the butterflies of the Philippine Islands. Nachr. entomol. Ver. Apollo, Suppl. 14: 7-118.