A first report of the Broad-Tail Royal Creon cleobis Godart, 1824 (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) and its host plant from Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve of the southern Western Ghats, India

Abstract

The lycaenid butterfly Broad-tail Royal Creon cleobis is being reported for the first time from Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve, at Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary. Adults were observed within the elevations of 1,000–1,350 m in November 2014. The eggs, larva and pupa were found on Helixanthera intermedia, an endemic parasitic plant found in the southern Western Ghats. Based on field observations and literature review, the peak occurrence of this butterfly seems to be during the months September–November.

Keywords

• agasthyamalai
• broad-tail royal
• butterfly
• creon cleobis
• helixanthera intermedia
• peppara wildlife sanctuary
• western ghats.