Hypolycaena erylus (Godart, 1823)

Hypolycaena erylus, also called the Common Tit, is a small but striking Lycaenid butterfly found in India and Southeast Asia.

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

27-32mm

Adults: Above, the male is deep purple with a circular black band on the forewing centering roughly at cell-end; the female is dull brown with a dark brown post-discal line on both fore- and hindwings, and has two large, marginal, black, white-crowned spots at spaces 1b and 2. Underneath, both sexes are pale grey, darker in the male than in the female, and have a cell-end bar and a narrow orange post-discal line on both fore- and hindwings. The forewing termen is shaded in orange and this orange shading is more extensive and extend up to the post-discal area. The hindwing has a prominent, orange-crowned tornal black in space 2 and a smaller one on the lobe. There are two white-tipped tails at ends of veins 1b and 2, with the longer one at vein 1b. The upperside of the abdomen is colored as per wing upperside, but the underside is mostly white and black banded. The legs are also white and black-banded.

Males are known to cluster at damp patches while females are rarely seen.

Host plants in India may include Meyna pubescens.

Coastal mangrove, lowland rainforest and temperate hill forest, at elevations between sea level and about 1500 metres.

Common