Butterflies of
Africa
Volta Ciliate Blue
Cupidesthes lithas
DRUCE, 1890
Family - LYCAENIDAE
subfamily -
POLYOMMATINAE
Tribe -
LYCAENESTHINI
Cupidesthes lithas,
Bobiri forest, Ghana
Introduction
The genus Cupidesthes comprises of
about 20 species, which are very closely related to
Anthene, and share with them the
characteristic of having 3 short thin tails on the hindwings.
Both genera are known colloquially as Ciliate Blues.
Cupidesthes
are entirely Afrotropical
in distribution.
The male of
Cupidesthes lithas is dark brown,
with a strong violet sheen across the hindwings and the along
the lower edge of the forewings. The female is usually white
above, except for the costa, outer margins and apex, all of
which are blackish. In a high percentage of some populations the
females are entirely brown above, probably due to the periodic
resurgence of a recessive gene.
Cupidesthes lithas is found from
Sierra Leone to Gabon and Congo.
Habitats
This is a rainforest species found at altitudes between about
100-800m.
Lifecycle
The lifecycle
of lithas is unknown. A related
species C. arescopa is recorded as
laying it's eggs in heaps on Thea (
Theaceae ) in Kenya. The eggs were coated with hairs from the
female's anal tuft, and these hairs were eaten by the newly
hatched caterpillars.
Adult behaviour
Males are
usually seen singly, sitting quietly on a "sunspot" - typically
a leaf at the top of a bush, lit by dappled sunlight filtering
through the forest canopy. Females are encountered far less
commonly but can occasionally be found fluttering around in
shady areas of the forest.
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