Monkey Puzzle

Monkey Puzzle

Rathinda amor ( Fabricius ) LYCAENIDAE

Adult upperside dark brown. FW with an oblique white band of large and smaller spots beyond the end of cell. HW with 2 black tornal spots, a narrow dark reddish band of spots above and beyond them and 3 tails, the middle longest. Underside white to dark yellowish brown. FW with dark brown apical area, irregular basal markings and curved white discal line. HW with irregular dark spots, lines and silvery marginal lines. Wingspan 26-28mm.

An insect oflow elevations in the hills and open plains, especially abundant in regions of moderate to heavy rainfall. With weak fluttering and unsustained flight, it keeps mostly close to the ground but may occasionally fly along shady walks in clearings. Often found basking on leaves.

Larva

Pale green, abnormal with a line of long pink fleshy protuberances along the back ( hence the common name ). In the last segment , one proturerance curved upwards, 2 outwards on the sides and the one on segment 4 straight and sharply pointed. The line of dorsal protuberances branches near the head into 2.

Feeds on garden croton, Litchi, Macassar oil tree, Eugenia zaylania, lxora, Hopea spp. Loranthus . spp etc.

Distribution

India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.