Showing posts with label Butterflies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Butterflies. Show all posts

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Common Dartlet (Oriens goloides)

An uncommon butterfly occurs in grassy areas all over the island up to mid-hills. It often found settled on grass by the roadsides. If disturbed, darts off rapidly and usually settles again near by shrub. Common Dartlet larva feeds on Setaria barbata (තණ කොළ)Cyrtococcum trigonum and also Axonopus compressus only when offered.



Friday, May 29, 2015

Tamil Treebrown (Lethe drypetis)

Rather uncommon butterfly  inhabiting hill country forests with bamboo undergrowth. Larva feeds on Bambusa multiplex, Bambusa vulgaris, Davidsea attenuata(බට) and Dendrocalamus giganteus.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Gaudy Baron/Elahera Butterfly(Euthalia lubentina psittacus)

Rather uncommon butterfly though widely distributed throughout the island in all climatic zones from sea level to about 1500 m altitude. Both males and females settle on wet earth to absorb minerals and feeds on rotten fruits (which is unusual since in most other butterflies it is only males do mud puddling.) Woodhouse* remarks that it is also known as the Elehera (ඇලහැර) among 'Kandy collectors'  since it is always found in that area during March and September. Larva feeds on varies පිළිල species such as Dendrophthoe falcataMacrosolen capitellatusTaxillus incanusTaxillus tomentosus, Taxillus cuneatus and Tolypanthus gardneri of the family Loranthaceae

* Woodhouse L.G.O. (1950) The Butterfly Fauna of CeylonCeylon Government Press, Colombo, 2nd (Abriged) Edition.  1950.

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Common Lascar (Pantoporia hordonia sinuata)

Locally common butterfly flies in wet and intermediate zone from lowlands to about 1400 m elevations. It has a slow flight which somewhat resemble to the flight of a dragonfly which too has similar colors (i.e. Variegated Flutterer). Larva feeds on leaves of Senegalia caesia (හිඟුරු-වැල්)Albizia chinensis (කබල් මාර/හුලං මාර) and Acacia pennata (ගොඩ හිඟුරු). As per Ormiston* it is especially common in May and June.
.
Ormiston  W. (1924) The Butterflies of Ceylon, H.W.Cave & Co., Colombo 1924, AES Reprint New Delhi, 2003


Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Blue Pansy (Junonia orithya patenas)

An uncommon butterfly occurs all over the island. But abundant in moderate elevations from 2000 to 4000 ft. It inhabits open areas such as grasslands, pathways, etc. In such habitats it can be encountered usually on the ground resting with wings open. When alarm it flies fast for a short distant to settle again. Larva feeds on leaves of Justicia procumbens (මයානි/Common small justicia)Yamazakia pusilla, and Rungia repens (සුළු නයි/Creeping rungia).  Its larva also fed on Centranthera indica (දුටු සතුටු) when offered. 


Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Zebra Blue (Syntarucus plinius)

Common butterfly occurs throughout the island up to higher hills. It is one of the commonest in drier parts of the country where male Zebra blues are always seen congregated around mud puddles and other moist areas. Larva feeds on flowers of  Plumbago auriculata(Cape leadwort)Plumbago zeylanica(එළ-නිතුල්/Ceylon leadwort/White plumbago)Rhynchosia minima, Indigofera tinctoria (නිල් අවරි),  Indigofera linnaei (බිං අවරි)Aeschynomene americana (Thornless mimosa) and Ormocarpum sennoides subsp. hispidum.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Decorated Ace (Thoressa decorata)

Rare endemic butterfly found in southwestern forest areas up to about 1200 m elevations. No data available on its larval host plants or early stages of the life cycle.

Friday, April 17, 2015

Common Bluebottle (Graphium sarpedon teredon)

Common butterfly flies all the year round in the southwestern wet lowlands up to the hills. Rather local and uncommon in the dry lowlands and absent in the extreme north. Males often come to mud puddling. It has a fast flight. Bluebottle does not take part in migrations. Larva feeds on leaves of Cinnamomum verum (කුරුදු), Cinnamomum capparu-coronde (කපුරු කුරුඳු), Cinnamomum dubium (සෙවල කුරුඳු), Cinnamomum ovalifolium, Neolitsea cassia (කුඩුදවුල/දවුල් කුරුදු), Neolitsea fuscata (කුඩු දවුල) , Litsea gardneri (තලන්), Actinodaphne stenophylla (නික දවුල)Persea americana (අලිගැට පේර/Avacado/Alligator pear), Actinodaphne glauca and Neolitsea Zeylanica of the family Lauraceae.


Saturday, April 11, 2015

Little Branded Swift (Pelopidas agna)

Little branded Swift is a rare butterfly with not much data on its distribution in the island. As per Woodhouse it is more likely to be found in the mid to upper hills while other similar species Small Branded Swift (Pelopidas mathias) with larger spots flies in the low country to mid hills (L.G.O. Woodhouse, 1950). It inhabits grasslands and open areas. Larva feeds on Arundo donax, Ischaemum timorense and also Axonopus compressus only when offered.

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Philippine Swift (Catloris philippina seriata)

Rare butterfly found in wet zone habitats from lowlands to about 300ft elevation of the hills. Larva feeds on Bambusa multiplex, Bambusa vulgaris (උණ), Bambusa tuldoides, Dendrocalamus giganteus, Schizostachyum brachycladum and Ochlandra stridula (බට) of the family Poaceae.


Monday, March 30, 2015

Common Grass Yellow (Eurema hecabe simulata)

Common butterfly found in all elevations of the country throughout the year. Common grass yellow is a migratory species. Its larval host plants are
  1. Sesbania bispinosa
  2. Sesbania grandiflora (කතුරු මුරුංගා/Agati/Vegetable hummongbird)
  3. Sesbania speciosa
  4. Acacia eburnea (කුකුල් කටු/ගිනි අන්දර/Cockspur Thorn)
  5. Acacia leucophloea(මහ අන්දර/කටු අන්දර)
  6. Aeschynomene americana (Thornless mimosa)
  7. Aeschynomene aspera (මහ දිය සියඹලා/Pith plant/Shola/Shola pith)

  8. Aeschynomene indica (දිය සියඹලා/හීන් දිය සියඹලා/Indian jointvetch/Budda pea)
  9. Albizia chinensis (කබල් මාර/හුලං මාර)
  10. Albizia lebbeck (සූරිය මාර)
  11. Albizia odoratissima (සූරිය මාර)
  12. Caesalpinia hymenocarpa (ගොඩ වවුලැටිය)
  13. Caesalpinia pulcherrima (මොණර මල්/Peacock flower/Paradise flower)
  14. Cassia roxburghii (රතු වා/Ceylon cassia/Red cassia)
  15. Pithecellobium dulce (මැනිලා සියඹලා/Madras thorn/Manila Tamarind)
  16. Senna alata (රට තෝර/Candle bush/Candle stick/Rinworm shrub)
  17.  Senna tora (පෙති තෝර/Pot Cassia/Sickle Senna)
  18. Vachellia nilotica (කටු කිහිරි)
  19. Chamaecrista absus
  20. Mimosa diplotricha (Giant sensitive plant/Creeping mimosa)
  21. Cassia grandis

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Yellow Palm Dart (Cephrenes trichopepla)

Yellow Palm Dart is a butterfly restricted to the Australian region. It was first recorded in Sri Lanka by Dr. George (Michael) van der Poorten in July 2009. It is believed that it was accidentally introduced to the country by palms brought by horticulture trade. Yellow Palm Dart is now well established in western and Northwestern part of the island. In Sri Lanka its larva feeds on varies palms such as පොල්/Coconut(Cocos nucifera), ඉඳි (Phoenix pusilla) and Saribus rotundifolius

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Sri Lankan Tiger/Monarch (Parantica taprobana)

Sri Lankan Tiger is an endemic butterfly Occurs above 1000 m elevation and common above 1200 m though occasionally found as low as 800 m elevation. It inhabits forests and well wooded hill country home gardens. Larva feeds on Ceropegia elegans, Cynanchum alatum and Vincetoxicum iphisia. Larva also fed on Vincetoxicum bracteatum when offered in the lab and egg laying was observed on Vincetoxicum cordifolium.

Monday, March 9, 2015

Quaker (Neopithicops zalmora)


Quaker is a common butterfly occurs in forested areas from low lands to hills (Up to about 500ft) all the year round. It takes part in migrations and often settles on damp earth, sometime in swarms. Quaker's dry seasonal form is larger than wet seasonal form. Larva feeds on leaves of  Glycosmis pentaphylla (දොඩම්පාන) Glycosmis angustifolia (බොල් පනා) and  Atalantia ceylanica (වල් දෙහි/යකිනාරන්/‍යක් දෙහි) 

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Indian Skipper (Spialia galba)

Common butterfly found in all climatic zones of the country throughout the year while becoming rarer in higher elevations. It is very fond of the sun and can be found on hottest places such as pathways during the hottest times of the day. Larva feeds on කොටි-කන් බැවිල[Kotikan-bevila] (Sida rhombifolia)ගස් බැවිල/Gas-bevila (Sida acuta) and Waltheria indica


Saturday, February 21, 2015

Common Red Eye (Matapa aria)

An uncommon butterfly confine to the wet zone of the country up to mid-hills. It is more frequently seen from August to October (Woodhouse L.G.O. , 1950). Common Red-eye is active mostly at dusk and dawn except on a dull day. Its larval host plants are Bambusa vulgaris (උණ), Dendrocalamus giganteus, Bambusa multiplex, Schizostachyum brachycladum and Ochlandra stridula (බට


Saturday, February 14, 2015

Common Rose (Pachliopta aristolochiae ceylonica)

Common butterfly occurs most parts of the island, throughout the year. It takes part in migrations and males sometimes seen mud-puddling. Its larval host plants are Aristolochia indica[සප්සඳ], A.bracteolata, Thottea siliquosa [තපසර බුලත්] and Aristolochia ringens (තාරාමල්) of the family Aristolochiaceae





Saturday, January 31, 2015

Butler’s Spotted Pierrot (Tarucus callinara)

Locally common butterfly confine to the southern arid zone areas, usually close to the coast from Hambantota to Yala. Also occurs in nearby inland dry zone areas. It flies slowly close to the ground and often settles on flowers. Larva feeds on leaves of Ziziphus mauritiana (දෙබර/මහ දෙබර/මසන්/Indian jujube/Chinese apple) 

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Common Banded Peacock (Papilio crino)

Common butterfly flies all over the island up to about 1000m asl. It is more common in the dry zone. Common Banded Peacock is a migratory butterfly and Ormiston recorded an interesting observation of large flight of these butterflies continues 3-4 days straight out to the sea at Galle. He believed that enormous numbers of  them must have perished in the sea (Ormiston  W., 1924). Male Common Banded Peacock often settles on mud patches and river beds to absorb minerals. Its larva feeds on Chloroxylon swietenia[Satinwood/බුරුත], Clausena indica [මීගොං කරපිංචා] and Toddalia asiatica[කුඩු මිරිස්

References:
Ormiston  W., 1924 The Butterflies of Ceylon, H.W.Cave & Co., Colombo 1924, AES Reprint New Delhi, 2003