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 | |
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. Fore wing with a broad, oblique, snow-white band from middle of costa to near apex of interspace 1, inwardly emarginate in its lower third. Hind wing 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 fore and hind wings 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) Fauna of British India. Butterflies Volume 1.