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Hypolycaena erylus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Common tit
H. e. teatus, Thailand
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Hypolycaena
Species:
H. erylus
Binomial name
Hypolycaena erylus
(Godart, 1823)
Subspecies

Many, see text

Synonyms
  • Polyommatus erylus Godart, [1824]
  • Hypolycaena teatus Fruhstorfer, 1912

Hypolycaena erylus, the common tit,[1][2] is a small but striking butterfly found in India and South-East Asia[3][4] that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family. The species was first described by Jean-Baptiste Godart in 1823.

Range

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Bangladesh, Nepal, Sikkim, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, southern Yunnan, Java, Lombok, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, Andamans, Nias, Sulawesi, Philippines, Sula, Bachan, Halmahera, Obi, Bismarck Archipelago and Waigeu.[1]

Status

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Common.[3][4] Not rare as per Haribal.[5]

Description

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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 6 mm long one at V1 and a 5 mm 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]

Subspecies

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The butterfly has a number of subspecies of which one, H. e. himavantus (Fruhstorfer), is found in mainland India while another H. e. andamana Moore is found in the Andamans.[5] All subspecies are:

  • H. e. erylus (Java)
  • H. e. pupienus Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Lombok)
  • H. e. teatus Fruhstorfer, 1912 (southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaya, Sumatra, Borneo)
  • H. e. himavantus Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Nepal, Sikkim to Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, southern Yunnan)
  • H. e. andamana Moore, 1877 (Andamans)
  • H. e. syphax Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Nias)
  • H. e. gamatius Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Sulawesi) (= H. e. pigres Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Obi))
  • H. e. tmolus C. Felder & R. Felder, 1862 (Philippines)
  • H. e. orsiphantus Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Philippines: Basilan)
  • H. e. aimnestus Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Palawan)
  • H. e. georgius Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Sula)
  • H. e. thyrius Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Bachan, Halmahera)
  • H. e. moutoni Ribbe
  • H. e. figulus Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Waigeu)
  • H. e. erna Kalis, 1933 (Bismarck Archipelago)

Habits

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The butterfly is abundant at low elevations. Males are known to cluster at damp patches while the females are rarely seen.[5]

Food plants

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Recorded on Meyna pubescens in India.[5]

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See also

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Cited references

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  1. ^ a b Savela, Markku (18 December 2018). "Hypolycaena erylus (Godart, [1824])". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  2. ^ Beccaloni, G.; Scoble, M.; Kitching, I.; Simonsen, T.; Robinson, G.; Pitkin, B.; Hine, A.; Lyal, C., eds. (2003). "​Hypolycaena erylus​". The Global Lepidoptera Names Index. Natural History Museum. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  3. ^ a b Evans, W. H. (1932). The Identification of Indian Butterflies (2nd ed.). Mumbai, India: Bombay Natural History Society. p. 294, ser no H80.3.
  4. ^ a b Wynter-Blyth, Mark Alexander (1957). Butterflies of the Indian Region. Bombay, India: Bombay Natural History Society. pp. 253–254. ISBN 978-8170192329.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Haribal, Meena (1992). The Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya and Their Natural History. Gangtok, Sikkim, India: Sikkim Nature Conservation Foundation. p. 107.

References

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