Hypolycaena erylus
Species of butterfly
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
_male_Siem_Reap.jpg)
| Common tit | |
|---|---|
| |
_male_underside_Siem_Reap.jpg) | |
| both males H. e. himavantus, Cambodia | |
Scientific classification  | |
| 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 | |
| |
_underside_Phi_Phi.jpg)
Range
Status
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 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
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
The butterfly is abundant at low elevations. Males are known to cluster at damp patches while the females are rarely seen.[5]
Food plants
Recorded on Meyna pubescens in India.[5]
Gallery
H. e. gamatius male
H. e. gamatius female
H. e. thyrius male
H. e. thyrius female
