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. 

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. 

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. 

 

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.

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)

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. 

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.

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.

Common Acacia Blue (Surendra quercetorum)

Common butterfly flies all the year round in wetter parts of the island below 1000 m a.s.l. wherever its food plants grows. Its larva feeds on leaves of  Senegalia caesia (හිඟුරු-වැල්), Acacia pennata (ගොඩ හිඟුරු), Albizia lebbeck (සූරිය මාර), Falcataria moluccana (මාර) and Calliandra surinamensis.

White Hedge Blue (Udara akasa mavisa)

A very local butterfly. But as per Ormiston (The butterflies of Ceylon - W. Ormiston)  plentiful where it occurs (Haputhale, Haldummulla and Nuwaraeliya especially during the March to April). It is usually found near streams in the hills. Males settles on wet patches on roads and females usually hovering among bushes and settle on flowers. No records available on its early stages or larval host plants*. This is probably the first photograph taken of  the White Hedge Blue in its natural habitats in Sri Lanka.

* As per Van der Poorten G.M. & Van der Poorten N.E., 2016 Female laying eggs were observed on developing buds of Persicaria chinensis. (2021/05/30)

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.

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) 

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) 

Dingy Lineblue (Petrelaea dana)

Dingy Lineblue is rather rare butterfly flies from lowlands to about 500 m a.s.l elevations. Males often settle on damp patches of the roads or stream beds. Hitherto no records available on its early stages of life cycle or on larval host plants in published materials on Sri Lankan butterfly fauna. Recently egg laying and larva feeding on Terminalia catappa (කොට්ටම්බා) flowers were observed by Sujeewa Gunasena (Sujeeva Gunasena ‎ Personal communication, October 28, 2014 &  https://www.facebook.com/kamanijeeva/media_set?set=a.811498772250436.1073741853.100001709620688&type=1&pnref=story)

* Terminalia arjuna (කුඹුක්) is also known as one of its larval host plant.

Common Tinsel (Catapaecilma major myositina)

"When I first came to this estate in 1889, this butterfly was plentiful on one field of tea. An adjoining chena was then cleared, and it entirely disappeared, and I never saw another specimen till August, 1915, when I took a male near Haldummulla kaddies. I have since obtained two more specimens from Haldummulla. I have never come across it in my travels, and the native collectors have never brought me a specimen, so it must be very rare, or local " - (Ormiston W., 1924)

"This butterfly very occasional caught by a few of the Ceylonese catchers in Kandy, from September to March along the road to Kurunegala near Galagedara" (Woodhouse L.G.O., 1950)

"Today the one of the rarest butterflies in the country, and among the few specimens in collections, very few are in perfect conditions. I saw it every year between 1952 and 1956 in a certain spot in the Uduwattakelle, but on subsequent visits have failed to see it" (d' Abrera B., 1998)

Common Tinsel seems to be a canopy dweller with local distribution - Hence the very few specimens and sightings - probably in all climatic zones. Larva feeds on Lannea coromandelica, Albizia lebbeck (සූරිය මාර), Vitex altissima (මිල්ල/කහ මිල්ල/නියන් මිල්ල/මියන් මිල්ල/සපු මිල්ල), Dendrophthoe falcata, Psidium guajava (පේර/Guava), Trema orientale (ගැඩුඹ/Charcoal Tree) and Bridelia retusa (කැටකෑල). It has symbiotic relation with a Crematogastor ant and possibility is there that it feeds also on other plants when ants are present 

References:

d' Abrera Bernard , 1998 The Butterflies of Ceylon, WHT Publications : Colombo.

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

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

Silver Streak Blue (Iraota timoleon nicevillei)

Rather uncommon butterfly mostly due to its habit of flying in canopy and rarely descending to the lower levels. It is probably distributed throughout the country where its larval food plants grows (Varies Ficus species of the family Moraceae) excluding higher hills. Almost all last century authors on butterfly fauna of Sri Lanka noted that Silver Streak Blue is common in Colombo (Ormiston W., 1924, Woodhouse L.G.O., 1950, and d' Abrera B., 1998). Larva feeds on fruits of Ficus arnottiana (පතන බෝ/කවුඩු බෝ/කපුටු බෝ ), Ficus religiosa(බෝ) , Ficus racemosa (අට්ටික්කා),  Ficus benghalensis (මහ නුග/නුග/Banyan/Krishna bo/Krishna's cup), Ficus drupacea,  Ficus microcarpa, Ficus tsjahela and Ficus heterophylla of the family Moraceae.

References:

d' Abrera Bernard , 1998 The Butterflies of Ceylon, WHT Publications : Colombo.

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

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

Large Guava Blue (Virachola perse ghela)

A rare butterfly flies in drier parts of the country. This butterfly has a habit of chasing other passing by butterflies, darting out from a particular leaf which it selected to rest during the hottest hours of the day*. Its larval host plant is කුකුරුමාන් (Catunaregam spinosa) and larva feeds on its fruits.

*Same habit has been observed on some other butterflies of widely different families

Long-banded Silverline (Spindasis lohita)

Long-banded Silverline is a rare butterfly found in forests and such well wooded areas from lowlands to hills up to about 1200m a.s.l. It is the largest Sri Lankan Silverline. Its larva feeds on Albizia lebbeck (සූරිය මාර), Senna auriculata (රණවරා/Matara Tea/Tanner's Cassia), Dendrophthoe falcata, Trema orientale (ගැඩුඹ/Charcoal Tree) and Bridelia retusa (කැටකෑල).  Larva also attended by Crematogaster ants.

Nilgiri Tit (Hypolycaena nilgirica)

Rather uncommon butterfly occurs from lowlands to mid-hills. Males often settle on damp earth and stream beds. It flies close to the ground and flight similar to much common White Four-Ring (Ypthima ceylonica). So it can be often mistaken for it and thus ignored. Its larval host plants are orchid species such as Arundina graminifolia, Thrixspermum pulchellum, Arachnis flos-aeris, Malaxis versicolor, Spathoglottis plicata (Philippine Ground Orchid), Vanda tessellata and Vanda testacea. Its larva also fed on Cymbidium aloifolium in the lab when offered.

Pointed Lineblue (Ionolyce helicon)

Very rare butterfly found in forests and well wooded areas throughout the island, particularly in the wet zone. It settles on the damp earth. The females are much rarer than males. No records available on its early stages of the life cycle.