Hypolycaena erylus
The Common Tit (Hypolycaena erylus) [1][2] is a small but striking butterfly found in India and Southeast Asia [3][4] that belongs to the Lycaenids or Blues family.
Range
Nepal, Sikkim - Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, South Yunnan, Java, Lombok, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, Andamans, Nias, Sulawesi, Philippines, Sula, Bachan, Halmahera, Obi, Bismarck Archipelago and Waigeu.[1]
Status
Common.[3][4] Not Rare as per Haribal.[5]
Description
The underside of both sexes is pale greyish brown. The underside hindwing does not have a spot in the basal area of 7. The butterfly has two tails - a 6mm long one at V1 and a 5mm long tail at V2. The markings include.[5]-
- a double bar at end-cell.
- a regular discal line on the forewing.
- a broken, less regular line on the hindwing.
The male butterfly is pale blue to dark brown above, dark shining purple depending on the light. It has a black border with the upper forewing having a large black discal area of modified scales.[5]
The female butterfly is dark brown and its hindwing has a white disconnected discal band above the tornus. The butterfly also has a white-edged tornal black spot in 2.[5]
Taxonomy
The butterfly has a number of subspecies of which one, Hypolycaena erylus himavantus (Fruhstorfer), is found in mainland India while another H. erylus andamana Moore is found in the Andamans.[5] All subspecies are:
- Hypolycaena erylus erylus (Java)
- Hypolycaena erylus pupienus Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Lombok)
- Hypolycaena erylus teatus Fruhstorfer, 1912 (southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaya, Sumatra, Borneo)
- Hypolycaena erylus himavantus Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Nepal, Sikkim to Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, southern Yunnan)
- Hypolycaena erylus andamana Moore, 1877 (Andamans)
- Hypolycaena erylus syphax Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Nias)
- Hypolycaena erylus gamatius Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Sulawesi) (= Hypolycaena erylus pigres Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Obi))
- Hypolycaena erylus tmolus C. & R. Felder, 1862 (Philippines)
- Hypolycaena erylus orsiphantus Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Philippines: Basilan)
- Hypolycaena erylus aimnestus Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Palawan)
- Hypolycaena erylus georgius Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Sula)
- Hypolycaena erylus thyrius Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Bachan, Halmahera)
- Hypolycaena erylus moutoni Ribbe
- Hypolycaena erylus figulus Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Waigeu)
- Hypolycaena erylus erna Kalis, 1933 (Bismarck Archipelago)
Habits
The butterfly is abundant at low elevations. Males are known to cluster at damp patches while the females are rarely seen.[5]
Lifehistory
Recorded on Meyna pubescens in India.[5]
Gallery
Cited references
References
- Beccaloni, G. W., Scoble, M. J., Robinson, G. S. & Pitkin, B. (Editors). 2003. The Global Lepidoptera Names Index (LepIndex). World Wide Web electronic publication. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/entomology/lepindex [accessed 4 December 2006].
- Bingham, C. T. 1907. Fauna of British India. Butterflies. Volume 2.
- Evans, W.H. (1932) The Identification of Indian Butterflies. (2nd Ed), Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India.
- Haribal, Meena (1994) Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya and their Natural History.
- Marrku Savela's Website on Lepidoptera [1].
- Wynter-Blyth, M.A. (1957) Butterflies of the Indian Region, Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India.
External links
- Asahinet Photographs of correctly determined specimens of Hypolycaena erylus from the Philippines
See also