Slate Flash (Rapala manea schistacea)

 Rather common butterfly flies all the year round in open scrublands, forest edges and secondary vegetations throughout the island up to about 1300 m a.s.l. It is much common towards the tail end of both monsoons. Its larva feeds on tender flower buds and flowers of Urena lobata, flowers and tender leaves of Lepisanthes tetraphylla in the dry zone and intermediate zone, flowers of Ziziphus mauritiana in the arid zone and flowers of Cassia roxburghii at Nilgala. 

White Banded Awl (Hasora taminatus taminatus)

Rather uncommon* butterfly flies all the year round in dry and intermediate zone forests, mainly in the southeastern part of the country. The larva of White Banded Awl feeds on the leaves of Derris scandens and Derris parviflora. 

* However W. Ormiston wrote in 1924 "They suddenly appears in great numbers, generally during the north-east monsoon, and I am of opinion that they "flight." In October, 1916, I noticed great flights of large Hesperiidae on several evenings just before dark, all going south....Both [White Banded Awl & Common Banded Awl] are extremely plentiful all over Uva, up to the highest elevations, and I have specimens ..from Kandy and Deniyaya"

And L.G.O. Woodhouse noted in 1949 " Both species [White Banded Awl & Common Banded Awl] fly together; they suddenly appears in numbers generally during the north-east monsoon (October-December) and appears to be "flighting'...but can be taken in most months of the year, all over the island, particularly in the wet and hill zones, being comparatively scarcer in the low-country dry zone"

 

Sri Lanka Clouded Silverline (Spindasis nubilus)

An endemic and very rare butterfly recently reported from only three locations (Chundikulam and Iranaimadu of Northern Province and Anavilundawa Wetlands Ramsar site of Northwestern Province.) Historically it was recorded from the scrubs and open areas of the northern dry zone (Elephant Pass, Jaffna, Iranaimadu, Murunkan and Mannar.)  No information available on its early stages of the life cycle or of the larval food plant. 

Black Rajah (Charaxes solon cerynthus)

Rather uncommon butterfly flies throughout the year of all climatic zones. But it is much common below 650 m elevations, especially in the dry zone forests. It is less common in the intermediate zone and rare in the wet zone. In the dry zone its main flight season is start of the northeast monsoons in October and in other zones it is before the arrival of southwest monsoon in April. Black Rajah is a butterfly of forest canopy though it is often seen on animal droppings. Hill-topping phenomena is observed of male Black Rajahs*. Its larva feeds on leaves of Tamarindus indica (Tamarind/Indian Date/සියඹලා) and Croton tiglium (ජයපාල). The larva is active during the night.  

* Male flying up to and staying on a hill top waiting for females.

Indian Awl King (Choaspes benjaminii)

 Indian Awl King is a rather uncommon butterfly restricted to the hill country forests above 1500 m a.s.l. But there are few records of observing it at some slightly lower elevations as well. Its larval food plants are Meliosma simplicifolia (ඇල්බැද්ද) and Meliosma arnottiana (නික දවුල). Male Indian Awl Kings are usually settle on wet roads, stream beds and strongly attracted by bird droppings. As per W. Ormiston who wrote about this butterfly in 1924 it was a fairly common butterfly of the hills and was formerly very plentiful on the cart road below the Haputale jungle, but he noted that since the Forest Department has cleared out the original vegetation and planted Eucalyptus in its places this and other butterflies have, of course disappeared. But he mentioned that it was still common between Haputale and Ohiya. He had collected it from Maskeliya, the hills above Ratnapura, Kandy as well as Haldummula which is rather low as 3500 ft.

Ceylon Hedge Blue/Sri Lanka Hedge Blue (Udara lanka)

An endemic butterfly common in the forested areas above 1100 m elevations. It is much common in the first four months of the year, especially at the Horton Plains National Park and the vicinity. Both male and female flies in the canopy to feed on nectar of forest flowers. The male also descends to the ground to mudsip and to feed on scats. Its larva feeds on flower buds and seed pods of Smithia blanda. Persicaria chinensis is also identified as a larval food plant of this butterfly. 

 

Rare Ace (Halpe egena)

Rare Ace is a rare and endemic butterfly. Its recent records are only from the higher elevations at Knuckles range and Peak Wilderness Sanctuary. However historical records available from Kalupahana, Ratnapura and Haldummulla-Horton Plains road (Ormiston W., 1924). Rare Ace is more or less similar to Ceylon Ace and some authors believes that both are one and same species while Ceylon Ace found at lower elevations and Rare Ace is restricted to the higher hills or that they are seasonal forms. The only consistent difference of both is the ground color and the ground color of Ceylon Ace is dark brown while Rare Ace is dark purplish brown. The immature stages of both species are also quite similar. Its larva feeds on leaves of Davidsea attenuata.

Five bar Swordtail

Common Guava Blue/Woodapple Blue (Virachola isocrates)

Rather common butterfly but seldom seen since it inhabits mainly the canopy. Widely distributed in arid, dry and intermediate zones of the country where its principal larval food plant Limonia acidissima (Woodapple/දිවුල්) grows. Its main flight season is from June to September. Larva feeds on the soft pulp of the Woodapple fruit after eating its way into the fruit through its hard shell. It also prevents the fruit fall by spinning a web around its stalk and top of the fruit. In Sri Lanka, Common Guava Blue  larva also feeds on කුකුරුමාන් (Catunaregam spinosa) and දෙළුම්/Pomergranate (Punica granatum) fruits.

A Sri Lankan Endemic Birdwing Butterfly Leaving Its Chrysalis

Opaque 6-Lineblue (Nacaduba beroe minima)

An uncommon butterfly found in wet zone forests up to  900 m a.s.l.  Its larva feeds on flowers and flower buds of Dalbergia pseudo-sissoo (බඹර වැල්)

Ceylon Treebrown (Lethe daretis)

A rather common endemic butterfly restricted to hill country forests above 1500 m a.s.l. It flies all the year round though much common from March to April. Its larva feeds probably on leaves of  a bamboo species (Sinarundinaria debilis) occurs at the higher elevations (Only egg laying observed so far) 

Singalese Hedge Blue (Udara singalensis)

An uncommon endemic butterfly flies in forested areas above 1500 m elevations. It is much common from February to May. Singalese Hedge Blue is usually found settling in stream beds or on wet roads. No information available on its early stages of the life cycle. 

Crimson Tip (Colotis danae danae)

A common butterfly restricted to the thorn scrub and waste places along the northwestern coastal arid zone from Eluwankulam to the Jaffna.  It flies year-round though much common from October to January just after the first rain of the northeast monsoon. Crimson Tip is a very active insect and it flies rapidly closer to the ground among thorny vegetation. Its only known larval host plant is Cadaba fruticosa of the family Capparaceae.

Striped Pierrort (Tarucus nara)

Common butterfly flies only in the northern part of the country from coastal thorn scrub of the western coast from Mannar to Pooneryn and throughout the Jaffna Peninsula. Its main flight season is from October to March. Striped Pierrort larva feeds on leaves of the Ziziphus mauritiana often attended by ants. Ovipositing on Ziziphus xylopyrus is also observed.

Plain Orange Tip (Colotis aurora)

Plain Orange Tip occurs only in coastal waste places and thorn scrub of the northern and north western part of the country. It is more numerous at the end of the north east monsoon though few may be seen all the year round. It flies usually closer to the ground. Its larva feeds on Cadaba fruticosa of the family Capparaceae.

Hampson's Hedge Blue (Acytolepis lilacea moorei)

An uncommon butterfly of hills and lowlands of Sabaragamuwa and Uva provinces. It flies with the start of the northeast monsoon rains and probably again from April to May. (Van der Poorten G.M. & Van der Poorten N.E., 2016). No data available of its early stages or of larval food plants. Males mud puddling on wet soil, bird droppings or  scats along forest roads and jungle trails.

Beak/Lobed Beak (Libythea laius lepitoides)

Rare butterfly distributed in same areas and similar habitats as it is of rather similar Club Beak. Its behavior is also similar to that of the Club Beak. Early stages of its life cycle is not yet recorded in Sri Lanka, though it is believed that Beak larva also feeds on the leaves of Celtis philippensis [මැදිතැල්ල] and Celtis timorensis [ගූරැන්ද/බූරැන්ද] as it is with the Club Beak.

Common Small Flat (Sarangesa dasahara albicilia)

Seasonally common insect flies mainly in the southeastern dry zone jungles up to 800 m a.s.l. Its main flight season is from April to June. Since it remains in a relatively small area for much of its life, Common Small Flat often seen flying in same locality day after day. Its larva feeds on  Lepidagathis fasciculata, Lepidagathis ceylanica and Lepidagathis walkeriana  leaves.

Painted Sawtooth (Prioneris sita)

Rather rare butterfly of mid hill forests from 600 to 900 m elevations, while descending to 400 m a.s.l. along southern and southwestern part of the hills. This butterfly mimics the poisonous Common Jeseble by size, coloration and wing pattern as well as the behavior, especially in its style of flight. However if disturbed it immediately flies away with great speed.  Painted Sawtooth males often settles on wet patches on ground for mud puddling. Female rarely encountered and spends much of its time inside the forest. Its larva feeds on Capparis moonii