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| India, Nilgiri Hills, coll. Bollino male |
Endemic to South and West India, primarily in the E and
W Ghat ranges, from sea level to 7000 feet. Reported as "locally abundant"
and flying year round with a peak in June/July (Haugum and Low).
It has been suggested based on close similarities in adults and immature
stages, genitalia, as well as the range, that minos should be regarded
as the westernmost subspecies of T aeacus.
I tend to believe this, but have listed it here as a full species do to
popular demand/tradition. Indeed, minos was described before aeacus,
and that would, as Haugum and low point out, make aeacus a subspecies
of minos! Protected in India throughout its range, but declining
due to human development.