# 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.

- **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.

## About

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.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/05361eb9-d3ea-4931-8264-f037904a4590
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/146927
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypolycaena erylus
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/105777243/medium.jpeg (Cheryl Stinchcomb, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.