Heliophorus epicles
Heliophorus epicles, commonly known as the purple sapphire, is a species of lycaenid or blue butterfly found in Asia. The species was first described by Jean Baptiste Godart in 1823.
Subspecies
The subspecies of Heliophorus epicles are:Heliophorus epicles epicles Fruhstorfer, 1918 – western JavaHeliophorus epicles hilima Fruhstorfer, 1912 – eastern JavaHeliophorus epicles latilimbata Fruhstorfer, 1908 – Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Assam, Myanmar, Andamans, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, southern YunnanHeliophorus epicles tweediei Eliot, 1963 – Peninsular MalayaHeliophorus epicles sumatrensis Fruhstorfer, 1908 – SumatraHeliophorus epicles phoenicoparyphus Holland, 1887 – Hainan
Distribution
In India, this butterfly can only be traced in the Himalayas at 2000–7000 ft. Apart from that they can be found from Kumaon in the Himalayas to southern Myanmar. They mainly inhabit in dense forest region.