Zipaetis saitis
| Tamil catseye | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Zipaetis |
| Species: | Z. saitis |
| Binomial name | |
| Zipaetis saitis Hewitson, 1863 | |
The Tamil catseye (Zipaetis saitis) is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in South India.
Description
Upperside in fresh specimens velvet-black, or brown to light brown in the female. Forewing with a broad, oblique, snow-white band from middle of costa to near apex of interspace 1, inwardly emarginate in its lower third. Hindwing with a similar broad white post-discal band parallel to the posterior two-thirds of the terminal margin, the outer margin of the band emarginate between the veins. Underside similar, ground colour paler; the white bands as on the upperside; both forewings and hindwings with a subterminal sinuous pale line. Hindwing with a row of five ocelli enclosed in a common silvery narrow band, on the inner side of the white band; each ocellus with a white centre, an inner ring of ochraceous, and an outer ring of blackish brown; the ocelli at each end of the row the smallest, the preapical very large and bi-pupilled. Antennae ochraceous red; head, thorax and abdomen dark brown.[1]
Expanse: 64–74 mm. (2.55-2.9").
Habitat: Southern India; the Nilgiris, Anaimalais; Cochin and Travancore.
References
- ↑ Bingham, C.T. (1905). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma Butterflies. 1 (1st ed.). London: Taylor and Francis, Ltd.