| Dark Palm Dart | |
|---|---|
| Dark Palm Dart from Bangalore | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Hesperiidae |
| Genus: | Telicota |
| Species: | T. ancilla |
| Binomial name | |
| Telicota ancilla (Herrich-Schäffer, 1869) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Telicota ancilla, commonly known as the Dark Palm Dart, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae. These species form a complex and exact species identity can only be determined by examination of the genitalia.
The larvae feed on various grasses, such as Imperata cylindrica, Paspalum urvillei and Sorghum halepense. Other hosts recorded include Ochlandra travancorica, Bambusa striata and Bambusa wamin.[1]