Cyana spp. Walker, 1854 -

Taxonomic Information

The genus Cyana consists of 42 species from India (Singh et al. 2020), with possibly more species awaiting description. This gallery of images titled Cyana spp., also contains some species that were traditionally classified as Cyana, but now have been transferred to other genera such as KailashaNephelomilta, etc. In many species of Cyana, it is necessary to see the fore and hindwings of the species for a confirmed identification, which is difficult due to the normal sitting posture of this genus. In some cases, genitalia and/or barcoding are needed to separate species with certainty. If the individuals displayed on this page are identifed to the species level in the future, they will be moved to the respective species pages. We would welcome feedback from experts who are able to provide an insight into species identities. Comments and feedback on the page or specific images can be provided by using the link at the bottom of the page and by quoting the specific media code provided in the image.

Cyana dohertyi male has four black spots, while C. arama has three black spots. Abdomen of dohertyi is whitish while distal (lower) half of abdomen is pink in C. arama. HW of dohertyi is whitish, while in C. arama it is suffused with pink. FW antimedial band in C. dohertyi is straight while in C. arama it is looped outwardly to inner margin. Palpi in C. arama is white below, dark brown above.

List of Cyana Walker, 1854 known from India.
Cyana abrupta Volynkin & Černý, 2019, India (Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya).
Cyana adita (Moore, 1859), India (North and NE India (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, North of West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh).
Cyana amabilis (Moore, 1877), India (Andaman & Nicobar Islands).
Cyana arama arama (Moore, 1859), India (NE India (Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur), Sikkim, North of West Bengal, Uttarakhand).
Cyana arama metis Volynkin & N. Singh, 2020, India (North India (Uttarakhand, Punjab)).
Cyana arorai Volynkin, N. Singh, Kirti & Datta, 2020, India (Andaman Islands).
Cyana atlanteia N. Singh, Volynkin, Kirti & Datta, 2020, India (South and NE India (Tamil Nadu, Assam)).
Cyana bellissima (Moore, 1878), India (Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, West Bengal).
Cyana bhatejai N. Singh & Kirti, 2015, India (South India (Karnataka, Tamil Nadu), Kerala).
Cyana bianca (Walker, 1856), India (Meghalaya).
Cyana britomartis N. Singh & Volynkin, 2020, India (NE India (Arunachal Pradesh), North of West Bengal, Sikkim).
Cyana candida (Felder, 1874), India (North and NE India (Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim)).
Cyana catorhoda Hampson, 1897, India (North and NE India (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur).
Cyana chrysopeleia N. Singh, Volynkin, Kirti & Datta, 2020, India (North and NE India (Uttarakhand, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram)).
Cyana coccinea coccinea (Moore, 1878), India (NE India (Sikkim and north of West Bengal), Assam, Uttarakhand).
Cyana coccinea flavotincta (Draudt, 1914), India (NE India (Assam)).
Cyana conclusa nicobara N. Singh, Volynkin, Kirti & Datta, 2020, India (Andaman & Nicobar).
Cyana detrita Walker, 1854, India (North and NE India (Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, West Bengal, Meghalaya, Nagaland), Arunachal Pradesh).
Cyana divakara (Moore, 1865), India (NE India (Assam), Sikkim, North of West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh).
Cyana dohertyi dohertyi (Elwes, 1890), India (Eastern Himalaya (Sikkim, North of West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur)).
Cyana dohertyi eirene Volynkin & N. Singh, 2020, India (North India (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand)).
Cyana dryope Volynkin & N. Singh, 2020, India (West Himalaya, North India (Himachal Pradesh)).
Cyana dudgeoni Hampson, 1895, India (Sikkim, North of West Bengal, NE India (Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh)).
Cyana flavicincta (Hampson, 1903), India (NE India (Assam, Meghalaya), Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh).
Cyana gazella (Moore, 1872), India (North and NE India (Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, north of West Bengal, Meghalaya, Assam)).
Cyana gelida gelida (Walker, 1854), India (North and NE India (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, north of West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh)).
Cyana guttifera (Walker, 1856), India (South, North and NE India).
Cyana harterti (Elwes, 1890), India (NE India (Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram)).
Cyana intercomma Černý, 2009, India (NW India (Jammu & Kashmir)).
Cyana khasiana Hampson, 1897, India (Assam, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, North of West Bengal).
Cyana linatula (Swinhoe, 1891), India (Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala).
Cyana moelleri (Elwes, 1890), India (NE India (Meghalaya), Sikkim, North of West Bengal).
Cyana neopuer N. Singh, Bhattacharyya & Volynkin, 2019, India (Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim).
Cyana obliquilineata (Hampson, 1900), India (Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, South India (Karnataka)).
Cyana peregrina (Walker, 1854), India (South India and East India, Uttarakhand); Sri Lanka.
Cyana perornata (Walker, 1854), India (NE India).
Cyana puella puella (Drury, 1773), India (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Gujarat, Bihar).
Cyana puer (Elwes, 1890), India (NE India (Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland), Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, West Bengal).
Cyana quadrinotata (Walker, 1869), India (NE India (West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh).
Cyana rudloffi Volynkin & N. Singh, 2020, India (Andaman Islands).
Cyana selangorica paeninsulana Černý, 2009, India (NE India, Assam, Mizoram).
Cyana signa (Walker, 1854), India (North and NE India (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur)).
Cyana sikkimensis (Elwes, 1890), India (NE India (Sikkim and north of West Bengal)).
Cyana trilobata Fang, 1992, India (NE India, Sikkim).
Cyana watsoni Hampson, 1897, India (NE India (Assam, Meghalaya)).

Photo Gallery and Species Biology

StateJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNo date
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Andhra Pradesh1
Arunachal Pradesh114151
Assam112
Bihar
Chandigarh
Chhattisgarh1
Dadra & Nagar Haveli
Daman & Diu
Delhi
Goa11
Gujarat
Haryana
Himachal Pradesh
Jammu and Kashmir111
Jharkhand
Karnataka131622
Kerala1154122111
Lakshadweep
Madhya Pradesh111
Maharashtra49631947
Manipur1
Meghalaya134
Mizoram
Nagaland
Odisha
Paschimbanga1
Pondicherry
Punjab
Rajasthan
Sikkim1131
Tamil Nadu1111111
Tripura112
Uttar Pradesh
Uttarakhand235132
West Bengal141
Total51317127912916261512

Singh, N., Volynkin, A.V., Kirti, J.S., Datta, H.S. & Ivanova, M.S. 2020. A review of the genus Cyana Walker, 1854 from India, with descriptions of five new species and three new subspecies (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini). Zootaxa, 4738 (1), pp.1-93. Fig 22-27. 

Page citation

Anonymous 2024. Cyana spp. Walker, 1854 – . In Sondhi, S., Y. Sondhi, R.P. Singh, P. Roy and K. Kunte (Chief Editors). Butterflies of India, v. 3.72. Published by the Indian Foundation for Butterflies. URL: https://moths.ncbs.res.in/cyana-spp, accessed 2024/03/29.