Hypolycaena erylus

The Common Tit (Hypolycaena erylus) is a small but striking butterfly found in India and South East Asia 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.

Status

Common. Not Rare as per Haribal.

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 .-

• 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.

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.

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.

Habits

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

Lifehistory

Recorded on Meyna pubescens in India.

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 04 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
• 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

• Lycaenidae
• List of butterflies of India
• List of butterflies of India (Lycaenidae)