Common Banded Awl (Hasora chromus)

Common Banded Awl is a rare butterfly found in forests all over the island but particularly common in the wet zone and hill country while comparatively scarce in the low country dry zone. It active at dawn and dusk though may be even appears day time in dull days. It rests on the underside of the leaves and usually fly short distance when disturbed to settle down again on the under side of another leaf with its wings close over the backs.  As per Ormiston it appears suddenly in great numbers during the north-east monsoon (October- December) and he believed it as a migratory butterfly since in October 1916 he noticed great flights of large Hesperiidae on several evenings just before dark, all going south (Ormiston W., 1924).  Its larval food plants are Pongamia pinnata(මගුල් කරඳ), Derris parviflora and Derris scandens (කල වැල් )