''Cigaritis lilacinus'', the lilac 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 found in Asia.

Range

The lilac silverline is found in India,

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

and N. Thailand. In India, this butterfly is found from Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh to southern Karnataka, with also one record each from Rajasthan and Assam. The species has been located in Rawalpindi in Pakistan, and the following Indian states: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. The only resident, breeding population discovered is in Hesarghatta Lake in Bengaluru, Karanataka.

Description

Male

Female

Ecology and conservation

The lilac silverline has been recorded from a wide variety of habitats that include protected wildlife reserves such as the Daying Ering Wildlife Sanctuary and Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Reserve, restored institutional campus such as the Agastya Campus in Chitoor, and open plains and gram fields in Uttar Pradesh. In all locations, except at Hessarghatta Lake, very small numbers of the species have been observed, with many observations being one individual. The lilac silverline has been sighted in relatively undisturbed reserves, but a majority of the sightings have been in areas that experience human activities such as grazing, agriculture, grazing, and regular visitations by urban photographers. Caterpillars of lilac silverline are tended by ants that offer protection from predators and

parasitoids In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionary strategies within parasi ...

. The lilac silverline is protected under Schedule II of the Indian (Wildlife) Protection Act. Uncontrolled visits to its breeding habitat in Bengaluru by photographers appear to be destroying its host plant due to the traversing of a large number of vehicles indiscriminately across Hesaraghatta Lake. No other threats have been recognized for this species across its distribution range.

Gallery

File:Apharitis lilacinus Moore, 1884 – Lilac Silverline (29858205788).jpg, Ventral view (male) File:Apharitis lilacinus Moore, 1884 – Lilac Silverline (43728995301).jpg, Dorsal view (male) File:Apharitis lilacinus Moore, 1884 – Lilac Silverline (43681065942).jpg, Ventral view (female) File:Lilac silverline WSF Female IMG 4639.jpg, Dorsal view (female) File:Lilac Silverline dry season form.jpg, Dry season form

References

Cigaritis Fauna of Pakistan Fauna of India Butterflies described in 1884 {{Aphnaeini-stub