Butterfly of the Day 2009 18

Nov 2009

Plains Cupid
The Plains Cupid, Chilades pandava, is a species of blue butterfly found in India. They are among the few
butterflies that breed on plants of the cycad family.

Wingspan: 13-15 mm.

The underside is pale brown in color while the upper side is metallic blue or with a purple sheen. There are
the eye spots of orange and black on the margin of hind wings, each has a short white-tipped tail on each
hind wing. The upper side of the male is light blue with narrow black markings, whilst the female has broader
borders and is paler. The hairy antenna-like, eye spots at the base of the tail and the action of turning around
upon landing is used to confuse potential predators from recognizing the true head orientation. This causes
predators to approach from the true head end resulting in early visual detection

Mutualistic association with ants

Larvae are attended and protected by ants while feeding on the host plant, and the ants receive sugar-rich
honeydew from them, throughout the larval life. The term used to describe such ant association is
myrmecophily. In other species, only the first few instars are spent on the plant, and the remainder of the
larval lifespan is spent as a predator within the ant nest. It becomes a parasite, feeding on ant regurgitations,
or a predator on the ant larvae. The caterpillars pupate inside the ant's nest and the ants continue to look
after the pupa. The adult butterfly emerges from the pupa still inside the ant nest. The butterfly must crawl
out of the ant nest before it can expand its wings.

Several evolutionary adaptations enable these associations and they include small glands on the skin of the
caterpillars called pore cupola organs. Caterpillars have a gland on the 7th abdominal segment that produces
honey dew and is called the dorsal nectary gland (also called Newcomer's gland). An eversible organ called
the tentacular organ emits chemical signals which are believed to help in communicating with ants.
Life Cycle

Eggs
Its pale green-colored eggs are laid singly on newly emerging fronds that are circinately coiled.

Caterpillar

When full-grown a little over half an inch in length, of two distinct colours, some being bright green, others of
a dark reddish purple (vinous) ... head very small, black. The larva throughout is very rough, widely pitted or
depressed and covered with very minute white tubercles bearing very short fine hairs, neither the hairs nor
the tubercles being visible without a lens. The underside of the body and legs seems to be always green.

Pupa

Reference: Wikipedia
Life cycle pics- http://www.flickr.com/photos/drsaji/3578143177/in/set-72157617682434186/

Some Pictures taken at Sophia College Campus:

(Sorry…. Not clear coz of its small size…)