Discolampa

Discolampa is a genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae. The genus ranges from Sri Lanka to New Guinea.

Family
Lycaenidae, commonly known as the blues or gossamer-winged butterflies.

Distribution
They are found in Southeast Asia, ranging from Sri Lanka to New Guinea.

Appearance

 * Size: They are likely small to medium-sized butterflies, though specific measurements are difficult to find.
 * Banded Blue Pierrot (Discolampa ethion): This is the best-documented species. It has:
 * Upper wings: Dark blue with a broad white band across the middle. The inner and outer edges of the white band are edged with black. The base and edges of the wings are also black.
 * Underside: Mostly white with black markings that resemble ribbons and spots.
 * Body: Black head, antennae, thorax, and abdomen. The palpi (mouthparts) have a white stripe down the middle.
 * Other species (Discolampa albula & Discolampa ilissus): Information on their appearance is scarce, but they are likely to be similarly small with blue or brown upper wings and potentially white markings.

Behavior

 * Diet: Like most Lycaenidae butterflies, Discolampa larvae likely feed on the leaves of specific leguminous plants (plants with bean-like seedpods).
 * Habitat: They are found in Southeast Asian forests, particularly in areas with good tree cover.
 * Flight: Specific flight patterns are unknown, but Lycaenidae butterflies are typically weak fliers and prefer short, flitting movements.

Species
There are only three known species in the Discolampa genus:


 * Discolampa ethion (Banded Blue Pierrot)
 * Discolampa albula
 * Discolampa ilissus


 * Discolampa albula (Grose-Smith, 1897) West Irian (New Guinea)
 * Discolampa ethion (Westwood, 1851)
 * Discolampa ilissus (C. & R. Felder, 1859) Sulawesi