Zebra Blue

Zebra Blue

Syntarucus plinius ( Fabricius ) LYCAENIDAE

Photo : Amber Habib

Adult upperside male pale transparent violet blue. FW with a brownish black border and HW with dark brown costal margin and white tipped tail. Underside white with irregular, alternate broad and narrow brownish black bands at right angles to the costa: 6 in FW and 7 disjointed bands in HW. FW with a basal triangular mark and a transverse series of subterminal spots. HW with larger subterminal spots and 2 black tornal spots, surrounded by a ring of green scales. Female uppperside brown with blue basal area and white discal area. Brown markings in the form of irregular v. underside as in male but with regular and uninterrupted brown bands. Wingspan 22-30mm.

Only oriental representative of this African butterfly, common throughout the drier parts of India. Zebra stripe –like markings on the undersurface gives the common name zebra blue. In south India, found up to 2300 m in the hills. Visits flowers and damp patches. With strong and swift flight, capable of sustained flight around bushes and trees.

Larva

Pale greenish yellow with a narrow brownish median line followed by 8 diagonal short streaks and 6 brownish red spots.

Feeds on plumbago zeylanica, kokko, sesbania spp., indigofera spp., and other plants of Fabaceae.

Distribution

Practically the entire Oriental region except Malaysia.