Common Tit
Hypolycaena erylus
The hindwing tails and eyespots mimic a second head. When perched, it wiggles its hindwings to trick predators into attacking the non-vital rear end, allowing it to escape.
- Scientific name
- Hypolycaena erylus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Lycaenidae › Hypolycaena
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Tropical rainforest margins, secondary forests, parks, and shrubby clearings.
- Diet
- Adults feed on flower nectar and mineral-rich damp soil; caterpillars feed on host plants such as Clerodendrum and Terminalia.
- Range
- India, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines
- Size
- Wingspan of 32 to 38 mm
- Lifespan
- 2 to 4 weeks as an adult butterfly
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, deforestation, and excessive pesticide use in urban fringe areas.
- Safe to approach?
- Completely harmless. You can observe this butterfly from a few inches away as it puddles or nectars. Avoid touching its wings, as handling can rub off the delicate scales required for flight.
Hypolycaena erylus , the common tit , is a small but striking butterfly found in India and South-East Asia that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family.
Photo: Cheryl Stinchcomb, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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