About Pareronia valeria (Cramer, 1776)
This species has the scientific name Pareronia valeria (Cramer, 1776).
Male description: Upperside: The ground colour is a clear pale blue with a much deeper tint than that of Pareronia avatar, Moore. All veins are outlined in black. On the forewing, the costa is broadly black, the apex and terminal margin are very broadly black. This black area on the termen narrows toward the tornus, and is crossed by a transverse subterminal series of bluish-white spots that vary in number. The spot in interspace 3 is shifted inwards; sometimes the posterior two spots of the series are almost joined to the ground colour streaks between the veins. On the hindwing, the dorsal and costal margins are broadly whitish, and the terminal margin is broadly black, especially at the apex. Except at the tornus, the black area is covered with specialized opaque-looking scales. Underside: The ground colour is paler blue, with the terminal margins of the wings obscurely fuscous, crossed by a very indistinct transverse subterminal series of whitish lunulated spots. On the forewing, the veins are more or less broadly bordered with black, and this black edging becomes broader toward the termen. The apex, and the terminal margin decreasingly toward the tornus, are suffused with a somewhat obscure pearly-white lustre. On the hindwing, the subcostal vein and veins 6, 7, and 8 are broadly edged with black, while the remaining veins are very narrowly edged with black; there is a very fine black line in interspace 1. The cilia of both forewings and hindwings are very narrow and white. Antennae are black; the head, thorax and abdomen are fuscous, and the thorax is covered with long bluish hairs. On the underside, the palpi, thorax and abdomen are pale silvery bluish-white.
Female description: First form: Upperside: Ground colour is black, with bluish-white markings. On the forewing, the cell holds two streaks: the anterior streak extends from the extreme base, and the posterior streak starts from the end of the basal third and extends beyond the anterior streak. Below and beyond the cell, there is a series of streaks in the interspaces. These streaks vary irregularly in length: the streak in interspace 1 is the longest, angled anteriorly and divided longitudinally from near its base; the streak in interspace 3 is short and broad, forming an elongate spot; the streaks in the anterior interspaces are more or less obliquely placed. Beyond these streaks lies a transverse subterminal series of spots, where the spot in interspace 3 is shifted inwards and the spots opposite the apex are curved backwards. On the hindwing, the costa and dorsum are broadly white; the cell and interspaces beyond hold a series of streaks and subterminal spots, more or less matching those of the forewing but more regular. The streak in the cell and interspace 1 is divided longitudinally, and the subterminal series of spots is evenly curved. Underside: Similar to the upperside, but the ground colour is dull, dusky and diffuse. Markings are broader but less clearly defined, and the apical area on the forewing is obscured by a powdering of whitish scales. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen are much as in the male but darker in colour.
Second form: Very similar to the first form, with matching markings on both the upper and under sides. However, on the upperside of the hindwing, the base of interspace 1a, the entire area of interspace 1, the area of the cell, and the base of interspace 2 are suffused with bright yellow. On the underside, these same areas are dull ochraceous. The extent of the bright yellow colour on the upperside and the dull ochraceous tint on the underside is variable: it is more restricted in some specimens and spreads further toward the costa in others.
The common female form mimics the glassy tiger to avoid predation. The rare philomela form is identified by yellow colouration at the base of the wings, and this form is reported more often in north-east India. According to Mark Alexander Wynter-Blyth, this form mimics Danais aspasia, which is not found west of Myanmar. Wynter-Blyth rejects the assumption that the wagtail carries D. aspasia eggs to India, and suggests that D. aspasia may have occurred in India in the distant past alongside the common wanderer, before being eliminated from the region later.
