''Cigaritis lohita'', the long-banded silverline,
[ is a species of ]lycaenid
Lycaenidae is the second-largest family of butterflies (behind Nymphalidae, brush-footed butterflies), with over 6,000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 30% of the known butterfl ...
or blue butterfly.
Description
The wingspan of ''Cigaritis lohita'' reaches .
Subspecies
*''Cigaritis lohita lohita'' (Horsfield, 1829) - Java
*''Cigaritis lohita lazularia'' (Moore, 1881) - Sri Lanka, South India
*''Cigaritis lohita himalayanus'' (Moore, 1884) - India, Nepal, Bhutan, Assam, Sikkim to Burma, northern Thailand
*''Cigaritis lohita senama'' (Fruhstorfer, 1912) - Sumatra, Peninsular Malaya, Singapore, Langkawi, southern Thailand
**''Cigaritis lohita senama'' f. ''zebrinus'' Moore, 1884 - Sri Lanka
*''Cigaritis lohita batina'' (Fruhstorfer, 1912) - southern Vietnam, China: southern Yunnan
*''Cigaritis lohita panasa'' (Fruhstorfer, 1912) - northern Vietnam
*''Cigaritis lohita formosana'' (Moore, 1877) - Taiwan[''Cigaritis lohita'' (Horsfield, [1829])]
at Markku Savela's ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms''
Host plants
This species has been recorded on: ''Coffea liberica'' (Rubiaceae), ''Dioscorea'' species (Dioscoreaceae) ''Glochidion rubrum'' (Euphorbiaceae), ''Hiptage benghalensis'' (Malpighiaceae), ''Litchi'' species (Sapindaceae), '' Xylia'' species and ''Peltophorum
''Peltophorum'' is a genus of 5–15 species of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae. The genus is native to certain tropical regions across the world. The species are medium-sized to large trees growing up to 15� ...
'' species () as well as on ''Psidium guajava
''Psidium guajava'', the common guava, yellow guava, lemon guava, or apple guava is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to the Caribbean, Central America and South America. It is easily pollinated by insects; when cultivated, it is pollina ...
'' (Myrtaceae
Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All speci ...
).nhm.ac.uk Caterpillar Host Plant Database
/ref>[
]
Distribution
This species can be found in China, India,[
File:Long-branded Silverline (Spindasis lohita) at Jayanti, Duars, West Bengal W2 IMG 5562.jpg, In Buxa Tiger Reserve, India
File: Lycaenidae - Cigaritis lohita himalayanus.JPG, ''C. l. himalayanus'' upperside
]
References
*
*
lohita
Butterflies of Asia
Butterflies of Singapore
Butterflies of Indochina
Butterflies described in 1829
{{Aphnaeini-stub