Telicota ancilla

"Dark palm dart" redirects here. For the other butterfly with this common name, see Telicota bambusae.

Telicota ancilla, the dark palm dart, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae. These species form a complex and exact species identity can only be determined by examination of the genitalia.

Dark palm dart
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Hesperiidae
Genus:	Telicota
Species:	T. ancilla
Binomial name
Telicota ancilla (Herrich-Schäffer, 1869)
Synonyms
Pamphila ancilla Herrich-Schäffer, 1869 Pamphila olivescens Herrich-Schäffer, 1869

The larvae feed on various grasses, such as Imperata cylindrica, Paspalum urvillei and Sorghum halepense. Other hosts recorded include Ochlandra travancorica, Bambusa striata and Bambusa wamin.^[1]

Subspecies

• Telicota ancilla ancilla (Herrich-Schäffer, 1869) – greenish darter (New South Wales and Queensland)
• Telicota ancilla baudina Evans, 1949 (Northern Territory and Western Australia)
• Telicota ancilla horisha Evans, 1934 (southern China, northern Vietnam, Taiwan)
• Telicota ancilla lanka (Sri Lanka)
• Telicota ancilla mamba (Mambare River)
• Telicota ancilla minda Evans, 1934 (Philippines)
• Telicota ancilla santa Evans, 1934 (Philippines)
• Telicota ancilla volens (Timor)