Zeltus

Fluffy tit
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Theclinae
Tribe: Hypolycaenini
Genus: Zeltus
de Nicéville in Marshall & de Nicéville, 1890
Species: Z. amasa
Binomial name
Zeltus amasa
Hewitson, 1865

Zeltus is a butterfly genus in the family Lycaenidae, the blues. It is monotypic containing the species Zeltus amasa, the fluffy tit, a small butterfly found in India.[1][2] The wingspan is 28–32 millimeter.[3][4] The butterfly is found in different regions of India, specially the Western Ghats, Sikkim to Assam, Myanmar, Thailand, West Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, Java and the Philippines.[5][6]

Description

The genus is small, and its wingspan is 28–32 millimeter. It has long fluffy tail (v.1, 13 mm.; v.2, 7 mm), which makes it easily recognizable. The forewing (FW) color of male Zeltus is blackish, and the basal area's color is pale blue. The forewing color of female Zeltus is dark brown. The hindwing (HW) color of the male is pale blue, the color of the apex is black.[6]

Zeltus amasa has false eyes, legs, and antennae on the hindwing, which resembles and diverts attention from its real head. If it is attacked, its starts flying in an unexpected direction.[7]

Habit

The genus is mostly found at hot, wet forest areas. It flies feebly. The male Zeltus rarely visits flowers, and stays on wet or damp patches, or on the leaves which are about 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground. The female mostly stays inside deep forest and is rarely seen.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Government of West Bengal, Department of Forests. A Pictorial Guide Butterflies of Gorumara National Park (1st ed.). Jalpaiguri: Divisional Forest Officer, Aranya Bhawan. p. 90.
  2. ↑ "Zeltus de Nicéville in Marshall & de Nicéville, 1890" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  3. ↑ A Pictorial Guide Butterflies of Gorumara National Park (2013 ed.). Department of Forests Government of West Bengal. p. 90.
  4. ↑ "Zeltus". www.ifoundbutterflies.org. I Found Butterflies. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  5. ↑ "Butterflies of Thailand, Malaysia & Borneo Fluffy Tit". Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 Wynter-Blyth, M.A. (1957). Butterflies of the Indian region (First Edition ed.). Bombay: The Bombay Natural History Society. p. 355.
  7. ↑ Michael Fogden; Patricia Fogden (May 1974). Animals and their colors: camouflage, warning coloration, courtship and territorial display, mimicry. Crown Publishers. p. 125.


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