Larval Host Plant

Zizula hylax – Tiny Grass Blue
Rapala manea – Slate Flash
Rapala varuna – Indigo Flash

Nectar Plant

Telicota spp. – Palm-Dart spp.
Sarangesa dasahara – Common Small Flat
Hasora chromus – Common Banded Awl
Euchrysops cnejus – Gram Blue
Cigaritis abnormis – Abnormal Silverline
Cigaritis vulcanus – Common Silverline
Virachola isocrates – Common Guava Blue
Danaus chrysippus – Plain Tiger
Danaus genutia – Striped Tiger
Euploea core – Common Crow
Euploea klugii – King Crow
Hypolimnas bolina – Great Eggfly
Hypolimnas misippus – Danaid Eggfly
Junonia almana – Peacock Pansy
Junonia atlites – Grey Pansy
Junonia lemonias – Lemon Pansy
Phalanta phalantha – Common Leopard
Tirumala limniace – Blue Tiger
Tirumala septentrionis – Dark Blue Tiger
Vanessa cardui – Painted Lady
Graphium doson – Common Jay
Papilio clytia – Common Mime
Papilio demoleus – Lime Swallowtail
Papilio polymnestor – Blue Mormon
Papilio polytes – Common Mormon
Belenois aurota – Pioneer
Catopsilia pomona – Lemon Emigrant
Catopsilia pyranthe – Mottled Emigrant
Delias eucharis – Indian Jezebel
Pareronia hippia – Indian Wanderer

Other notes

Note: This plant has been reported as a larval host for Zizula hylax – Tiny Grass Blue from Taiwan (HOSTS, 2023). It might be used in India, too, but this needs confirmation.

Natural History: A highly invasive shrub often cultivated in gardens for its attractive flowers. Many coloured varieties are available. These flowers attracts many butterflies.

References:

Nitin, R., V. C. Balakrishnan, P. V. Churi, S. Kalesh, S. Prakash, and K. Kunte. 2018. Larval host plants of the butterflies of the Western Ghats, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 10:11495–11550. DOI: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.3104.10.4.11495-11550.

HOSTS (2023) - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants. Accessed on 16 Jan 2023. URL: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/hostplants/search/.

WFO (2023): World Flora Online. Accessed on 16 Jan 2022. URL: http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000223016.

Flowers of India (2023). Accessed on 16 Jan 2022. URL: http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Lantana.html.

Page citation

Kawthankar, N. 2024. Lantana camara L. – Lantana. In Kunte, K., S. Sondhi, and P. Roy (Chief Editors). Butterflies of India, v. 4.12. Published by the Indian Foundation for Butterflies. URL: https://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/lantana-camara, accessed 2024/09/11.