Hypolycaena erylus explained

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

Range

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

Common.^{[2] [3]} 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 6 mm long one at V1 and a 5 mm long tail at V2. The markings include:^[4]

• 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.^[4]

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.^[4]

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.^[4] 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.^[4]

Food plants

Recorded on Meyna pubescens in India.^[4]

See also

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

References

• Book: Bingham . C. T. . Charles Thomas Bingham . The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Butterflies Volume II . . London . 1907.
• Book: Evans . W. H. . William Harry Evans . The Identification of Indian Butterflies . 2nd . Mumbai, India . . 1932.
• Book: Haribal, Meena . The Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya and Their Natural History . Gangtok, Sikkim, India . Sikkim Nature Conservation Foundation . 1992.
• Book: Wynter-Blyth, Mark Alexander . Mark Alexander Wynter-Blyth . Butterflies of the Indian Region . 1957 . Bombay, India . . 978-8170192329.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Savela . Markku . 18 December 2018 . Hypolycaena erylus (Godart, [1824]) ]. Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms . 13 January 2020.
2. Book: Evans . W. H. . William Harry Evans . The Identification of Indian Butterflies . 2nd . Mumbai, India . . 1932 . 294, ser no H80.3.
3. Book: Wynter-Blyth, Mark Alexander . Mark Alexander Wynter-Blyth . Butterflies of the Indian Region . 1957 . Bombay, India . . 978-8170192329 . 253–254.
4. Book: Haribal, Meena . The Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya and Their Natural History . Gangtok, Sikkim, India . Sikkim Nature Conservation Foundation . 1992 . 107.