Butterflies of
Thailand, Malaysia &
Borneo
Fruhstorfer's
Silverline
Spindasis seliga
FRUHSTORFER, 1912
Family - LYCAENIDAE
subfamily - THECLINAE
Tribe - APHNAEINI
Spindasis seliga, Gopeng, West Malaysia ©
Adrian Hoskins
Introduction
The genus Spindasis is regarded by some
authors as a subgenus of Cigaritis.
Thus defined there are 72 known species, found variously across
Africa, the Middle East and the Oriental region. The 'true'
Spindasis species, i.e. those occuring
in the Oriental region, amount to 28 species, of which peninsular
Malaysia has 5 species - syama,
lohita, seliga,
kutu and vixinga.
All of these except kutu also occur on
Borneo.
The
genus is instantly recognisable from the distinctive pattern of
red-bordered silvery stripes on the underside. The pattern functions
to divert the eyes of predators away from the butterfly's head, and
towards the tornus. The bright orange tornal spot, and the
white-tipped 'false antennae' tails, which are wiggled while the
butterfly rests, add further to the back-to-front illusion. A bird
or reptile intending to attack a butterfly will always try to
anticipate the direction in which it will try to escape. Accordingly
they aim their attack just ahead of what they believe to be the head
of the insect, but the back-to front illusion fools them into aiming
at the tail, and the butterfly is able to make it's escape in the
opposite direction.
Habitats
Spindasis seliga is a forest insect, usually seen in light
gaps or along wide trails.
Lifecycle
The caterpillar is dark green, mottled with paler markings. It feeds
on the foliage of the shrubs Dioscorea,
Xylia, and
Psidium, and is attended by ants, which 'milk' it to obtain
sugary secretions. It lives, and eventually pupates, within a
shelter constructed from fragments of bark or stem.
Spindasis seliga, Gopeng, West Malaysia ©
Adrian Hoskins
Adult behaviour
Both sexes are usually encountered
singly or occasionally in two's and three's, and are typically seen
when resting on the foliage of trees or shrubs at a height of about
2-3m above the ground. They have a rapid fluttery flight which is
difficult to follow with the eye.
Males
sometimes visit sandbanks, where they perch on rocks or stones. Upon
landing they wiggle the 'false antennae' tails for a moment, but once
they have assessed that they are in no immediate danger from
predators, they stop this activity and remain perfectly still.
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