The Cycad Blue

Cethosia hypsea

Description

Male Chilades pandava has light purplish blue with a narrow black border upper wings with a prominent black spot on the hindwings. The female has a broader black border, a paler blue color and black spots on the tips of the hindwings. The underside of the wings is gray with brownish black spots bordered by light gray dashes. Black spots on the tornal section (rear end of the wings) with orange crown, there is a filamentous tail with a white tip on the hind wing.

Larva: The larvae of Chilades pandava have a small shiny black head, the texture of the skin is rough, reddish purple in color, but the last instar is bright green with a dark stripe along the back and sides of the body. These larvae have a mutualism symbiosis with ants, the ants will milk the caterpillar glands of Chilades pandava to take the secretion of sugar, while the ants protect the caterpillars from predators. In the pupa phase, the pupa is formed on the ground and then buried by the ants.

Pupa: Chilades pandava pupae have a distinctive lycaenid shape, yellowish green or yellowish green to dark red brown with many black spots, depending on the color of the caterpillar. The pupa is about 9.5 – 10.5 mm long.

Population Size

-

Life Span

-

WEIGHT​

-

LENGTH

Wingspan from 22 – 26 mm.

Ar

Arboreal

He

Herbivore

Classification

KINGDOM

:

Animalia

PHYLUM

:

Arthropoda

CLASS

:

Insecta

ORDER

:

Lepidoptera

FAMILY

:

Nymphalidae

GENUS

:

Cethosia

SPECIES

:

Cethosia hypsea

Distribution

Chilades pandava can be found in lowlands, usually in forests, gardens, parks, roadsides. Lives on the sago palm tree (Cycas revoluta).

Geography

Continent : Asia

Country : Chilades pandava are distributed in India, Sri Lanka, Arabic, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia (Java, Sumatra).

Habits and Lifestyle

Chilades pandava flies at moderate speed, usually seen alone or both perched on low foliage or seeking flower nectar of herbaceous plants. Sometimes seen in groups which allow male butterflies to be aggressive to defend their territory.

Lifestyle

Arboreal

Biome

Tropical rain forest

Climate Zone

Tropical

Diet and Nutrition

The larvae of Chilades pandava feed on the immature shoots of the sago palm (Cycas revoluta) or other palm plant. Adult Chilades pandava sucks nectar from the flowers of herbaceous plants.

Diet : Herbivore (larva), Nectarivore

Mating Habits

Chilades pandava reproduces by laying eggs (oviparous), female butterflies lay a collection of eggs (approximately 6 eggs) on young shoots or on the tips of young leaves of Cycas revoluta. The eggs are greenish-white in the form of lozenge (like diamond), the surface is rough. Often found Trichogrammatoidea guamensis as a parasite of eggs.

Reproduction session : –

Incubation periods: –

Independent age : at birth

Baby name : –

Baby carrying : 6 eggs

Population

Population status : Not Evaluated (NE)

NE

DD

LC

NT

VU

EN

CR

EW

EX

PHOTO GALLERY

Reference

  1. Khoon, S. 2010. A Field Guide to The Butterflies of Singapore. Ink On Paper Communications, Singapore.
  2. Cycad Blue article 
  3. Cylades pandava pandava article 
  4. Luthrodes pandava on Wikipedia article