DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2018.v06i06.004

Pages: 459-464

The present study was carried out to describe the morphometric characters including morphometric lengths and length-length relationships (LLRs) of the butterflies Chilades pandava and Chilades lajus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Butterflies were sampled randomly from the Rajshahi University campus, Bangladesh. The pictures of butterflies were taken with DSLR camera (Canon 750D), and total 14 different morphometric lengths from the body, antenna, wings and legs were assessed using ImageJ software (1.48v). Body length (BL) was recorded as average 9.942± 0.98 and 9.116 ± 0.42 mm for C. pandava and C. lajus respectively. The maximum length was found in forewing base-apex (FWBA) as 14.473± 1.86 and 12.791 ± 1.16 mm and the minimum length was recorded in total foreleg (TFL) as 4.185 ± 0.59 and 3.727 ± 0.50 mm in C. pandava and C. lajus respectively. While comparing two species, all morphometric lengths were significant (p < 0.05), expect antenna length (AL), hindwing base-apex (HWBA) and anal vein (VA). All LLRs also had significance with r2 values ≥ 0.6974 for C. pandava and ≥ 0.7080 C. lajus. According to r2 values, the best-fitted model of LLR was BL vs. VC2 (Vein Cubitus2) for C. pandava and BL vs. THL (Total Hindleg) for C. lajus among 13 equations. The allometric coefficient ‘b’ of the LLRs between BL vs. AL, BL vs. FWBT, BL vs. FWAT, BL vs. HWAT, BL vs. VR2, BL vs. TFL, BL vs. TML and BL vs. THL for C. pandava and BL vs. FWAT, BL vs. HWBT, BL vs. TFL and BL vs. TML for C. lajus indicated isometric growth while the remaining parameters of both species indicated negative allometric growth. Among the variations of morphometric characters within C. pandava and C. lajus show the way of dynamic speciation.