Large 4-Lineblue (Nacaduba pactolus)

Large 4-Lineblue is a rare butterfly found in forests and well wooded areas of all elevations up to the higher hills. It is the only Nacaduba species of the island in which antennae are white-tipped and also the largest of them. Entada rheedei (පුස් වැල්) is its only known larval host plant in Sri Lanka.

Malayan (Megisba malaya)

Malayan is a common butterfly occurs from lowlands to hills (Up to about 400ft). The dry seasonal form is large. Males often settle on damp earth and bird dropping to absorb minerals. Its larval food plant are Allophylus cobbe (බූ-කොබ්බෑ\කොබ්බෑ), Mallotus rhamnifolius (මොළබෑ/බුලු හුලු කැප්පෙටියා), Mallotus philippensis, and Mallotus eriocarpus.

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Plain Hedge Blue (Celastrina lavendularis)

Plain Hedge Blue is a rare butterfly found in up country over 3000ft between February and October (Woodhouse L.G.O., 1950). However above specimen was photographed in the Sinharaja World Heritage Site (~1700ft). No records available on its larval food plant or early stages of the life cycle.

Tailless Lineblue (Prosotas dubiosa indica)

Common butterfly found in forests and such well wooded areas throughout the island. Male settles frequently on damp earth to absorb minerals. Larva feeds on Senegalia caesia (හිඟුරු වැල්), Dalbergia rostrata, Mimosa diplotricha (Giant sensitive plant/Creeping mimosa), Mimosa pudica (නිදිකුම්ඹා/Sensitive plant/Touch-me-not), Albizia odoratissima (සූරිය මාර), Pithecellobium dulce (මැනිලා සියඹලා/Madras thorn/Manila Tamarind), Samanea saman (මාර/පිනි මාර/පාරෙ මාර/Rain tree) and Allophylus cobbe (බූ-කොබ්බෑ\කොබ්බෑ).

Cornelian (Deudorix epijarbas epijarbus)

A rare butterfly found in jungles and open areas of the low country up to elevations of about 1000m. It take part in migrations. It seems that this butterfly was much more abundant in Ormiston's and Woodhouse's time than today. Ormiston noted of a large flight of them in August, 1915 at Haldummulla travelling west and again exceptionally large flight at Pattipola in November, 1917 flying south. (Ormiston W., 1924).Woodhouse in 1950 also mentioned it as a 'Not rare' butterfly (Woodhouse L.G.O., 1950). Larva feeds on Cardiospermum halicacabum (පෙනෙල-වැල්/Baloon vine) and Dodonaea viscosa.

Silver Forget-me-not (Catochrysops panormus)

Silver Forget-me-not is a very rare butterfly found in moist parts of the country though there are earlier records from Haldummulla and Wellawaya (Ormistom W., 1924). Males do mud puddling. No records available on its food plant or on early stages.

* Egg laying and larval feeding has been observed on  වල් උඳු[Wal Undu] (Flemingia macrophylla) plants (Ishara Harshajith Wijewardhane, Personnal communication, November 24, 2013) 

*Neustanthus phaseoloides [Syn: Pueraria phaseoloides is also identified as a larval host plant of it

Common Imperial (Cheritra freja pseudojaffra)

An uncommon butterfly found in  both dry and wet zone lowlands up to foot-hills, generally near jungles. It seems to be gregarious and usually several of them found together when encountered.

* Egg laying and larval feeding has been observed on cultivated Cinnamon verum (කුරුඳු) plants (Ishara Harshajith Wijewardhane, Personnal communication, November 24, 2013)

* Later on Entada rheedei (පුස් වැල්), Meliosma simplicifolia pungens (ඇල්බැද්ද) and Entada zeylanica are also identified as its larval host plants.

Common Silverline (Spindasis vulcanus fusca)

Common butterfly found mainly in low country dry zone. Its larva feeds on Senna auriculata (රණවරා/Matara Tea/Tanner's Cassia)  and  Cardiospermum halicacabum (පෙනෙල-වැල්/Baloon vine)

Ceylon Silverline (Spindasis ictis ceylanica)

Rather rare 'Silverline' found in low country dry zone. Larval food plant are Acacia eburnea (කුකුල් කටු/ගිනි අන්දර/Cockspur Thorn), Senna auriculata (රණවරා/Matara Tea/Tanner's Cassia) in the field and Senna surattensis (Scrambled-egg-tree) only when offered.

Sri Lankan Cerulean/Ceylon Cerulean (Jamides coruscans)

An endemic and rare butterfly found in the low country wet zone forests up to about 500m. Its larval host plant is Gal Karanda[ගල් කරඳ] (Humboldtia laurifolia)

Purple Leafblue (Amblypodia anita)

Rather rare butterfly occurring from sea level up to about 300m, particularly in the dry zone. Males settle on wet patches on the roads, or on carrion to absorb minerals. Larva feeds on Olax scandens, Olax imbricata and probably on Olax zeylanica.  

Redspot (Zesius chrysomallus)

Common butterfly found all over the island from lowlands to mid hills up to about 2500ft. Larvae of Red spot has symbiotic relationship with large red ants. Red ants feed on liquid exuded by the larvae and in turn are attended by them. The larva feeds on Terminalia bellirica, Bridelia retusa (කැටකෑල), Canthium coromandelicum, Terminalia catappa (කොට්ටම්බා/කොට්ටන්/Indian almond/Country almons),  Terminalia arjuna (කුඹුක්), Falcataria moluccana (මාර), Symplocos acuminata, Cassia fistula (ඇහැළ/Indian Laburnum/Shower of Gold), Psidium guajava (පේර/Guava), Dendrophthoe falcata (පිලිල),  Cassia roxburghii (රතු වා/Ceylon cassia/Red cassia),  Senna auriculata (රණවරා/Matara Tea/Tanner's Cassia), Grewia damine (දමිණිය), Acacia longifolia, and Sesbania grandiflora (කතුරු මුරුංගා/Agati/Vegetable hummongbird).

Apefly (Spalgis epeus epeus)

Rare butterfly distributed in the low country to mid hills of about 500m a.s.l. As per Woodhouse Larva of Apefly unlike with other butterflies feeds on scale insects (Coccidae) especially “Mealy bug” and is never known to eat vegetable food (Woodhouse L.G.O. 1950) But de’Abrera stated that it is just a keeping company with Mealybugs (de’Abrera B., 1998). Pupa is remarkably like the head and face of an ape. Hence its vernacular name Apefly. 

Forget-me-not (Catochrysops strabo)

Common butterfly occurs all over the dry lowlands up to about 3500ft, especially in abandoned paddy fields and chena lands.  Its larva feeds on Cajanus cajan (රට තෝර/Dhal/Pigeon Pea/Chick Pea/Red Gram), Flemingia lineata, Phyllodium pulchellum, Rhynchosia cana, Tephrosia purpurea (ගම්-පිල/කටු-පිල/Wild Indigo/Fishpoison), Tephrosia villosa (බූ පිල/Hoarypea) and  Indigofera linnaei (බිං අවරි)

Angled Pierrot (Caleta decidia)

Angled Pierrot is an uncommon butterfly more partial to the jungle habitats of wet lowlands up to mid hills. De’ Abrera noted that Angled Pierrot is neither a ‘mud-puddler- nor a creature of open countryside (de’Abrera B., 1998). However mud-puddling individuals are not uncommon and also it inhabits open areas but always close to the jungles such as jungle foot paths (Above picture was also taken at such a habitat and it was mud puddling on a muddy foot path though it has flew away and settled on a near by shrub where picture was taken). It is frequent in jungle clearings and in shady streams (Banks J&J, 1999). It is a swift  flying insect which takes part in migrations.  The larva feeds on Maha-Eraminiya plants (Ziziphus rugosa) and Gouania microcarpa.

Small Cupid (Chilades parrhasius nila)

Small Cupid is an uncommon butterfly confined to the northern dry zone of the island.  It can be easily confused with the superficially similar Plain Cupid. But Plain Cupid (30mm) is larger than Small Cupid (20mm) and restricted to the wet zone of the island where latter does not fly. Its larva feeds on tender leaves of  Acacia eburnea (කුකුල් කටු/ගිනි අන්දර/Cockspur Thorn), Acacia leucophloea(මහ අන්දර/කටු අන්දර) and Acacia planifrons.

Gram Blue (Euchysops cnejus)

An uncommon butterfly found in intermediate and dry zones of the Sri Lanka. However it is more plentiful in the north of the island. According to the Woodhouse it is to be found, chiefly in February, March and May in the dry zone, particularly the north of the island (Woodhouse LG.O., 1950). Ormiston noted that it is frequently a serious pest to the gram crops in South India (Ormiston W.,  1924). Hence its vernacular name. However according to the de’Abrera it has yet to prove so in Sri Lanka (de’Abrera B., 1998 ). Gram Blue is subject to considerable seasonal variation in size and the intensity of blue on its wings.  Its larva attended by ants and feeds on various plants of the family Fabaceae such as Macroptilium lathyroides (Wild bushbean), Neustanthus phaseoloides, Vigna marina, Vigna trilobata, Vigna unguiculata (මෑ කරල්/ ලී මෑ/වඳුරු මෑ/Black-eye Bean/Cowpea), Vigna radiata (මුං/මුං ඇට/බූ මෑ/Green gram/Jerusalem pea/Mung bean), Vigna mungo (බූ මෑ/මුං/උළුඳු/Black gram), Abrus precatorius (ඔළිඳ/Crab's Eyes/Indian Liquorice) and Canavalia rosea.

Grass Jewel (Freyeria trochilus)

Grass Jewel is one of the smallest butterfly of the island common in grasslands and open areas in lowlands up to about 300 m. Its larva feeds on  Indigofera linnaei (බිං අවරි), Indigofera oblongifolia, Indigofera tinctoria (නිල් අවරි) and probably on Indigofera colutea.

  

Peacock Royal (Tajuria cippus)

Common butterfly found from lowlands to about 1000 m above sea level throughout the year, but more visible in the center and north of the island. Its larva feeds on Dendrophthoe falcata, Dendrophthoe ligulata, Taxillus cuneatus and Scurrula cordifolia of the family Loranthaceae.

Dark Grass Blue (Zizeeria karsandra)

An uncommon butterfly found in grasslands from sea level to about 1500m elevations.  It can be easily distinguished from bit similar Lesser Grass Blue(Zizina Otis) by the presence of a spot in the cell on the under side of the fore wing. Its larva feeds on Amaranthus blitum, Amaranthus viridis, Amaranthus spinosus (කටු තම්පලා/Spiny amaranth/Prickly amaranth), Coldenia procumbens, Sauropus bacciformis (බිං දෙළුම්/ඇත් පිටවක්කා), Glinus oppositifolius (හීන් අල), Tribulus terrestris (සෙම්බු-නෙරෙන්චි/ගොකටු) and Hypertelis cerviana plants.