New hosts for the cycad blue butterfly, Luthrodes pandava, Horsfield (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) in an island ecosystem

Luthrodes pandava Horsfield (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) has been reported as a pest of cycad plants in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India for the first time. Its impact on host species is assessed. Compared to introduced species, endemic cycads appear to be most susceptible to damage by its larvae, feeding on the plant and affecting growth. Larvae damage all above‐ground plant parts. C. dharmrajii L. J. Singh and C. pschannae R.C. Srivast. & L. J. Singh, endemic to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, are recorded here for the first time as new host plants.