Common Leopard (Phalanta phalantha)

Common butterfly occurs in open areas close to the jungles, and scrub lands from sea level to about 6000ft a.s.l. Common leopard is a migratory species and sometime it swarms on wet patches on the roads in the low country dry zone. Larva feeds on Dovyalis hebecarpa (Ceylon gooseberry/කැට ඇඹිල්ල), Flacourtia indica (උගුරැස්ස),  Hydnocarpus venenata, Flacourtia jangomas (රට උගුරැස්ස), Scolopia acuminata, Flacourtia inermis (Livi-lovi) and Scolopia pusilla (කටු කෑර/කටු කුරුඳු/කටු කෙන්ද)

Glassy Tiger(Parantica aglea)

Common at all elevations of the southern part of the country in all the year round while much plentiful during Northeast monsoon period. Scarce in the northern parts of the island. According to the D’Abrera it  is a slow and low flying insect not rising more than 5 or 6 feet above the ground usually, and then only when the temperature is not too hot (The Butterflies of Ceylon - D'abrera 1998) Larva feeds on Ceropegia candelabrum, Heterostemma tanjorensis, Vincetoxicum indicum, Vincetoxicum flexuosum, Vincetoxicum iphisia and Vincetoxicum bracteatum.

 

Ceylon Lace Wing/Tamil Lace Wing (Cethosia nietner nietner)

Rather uncommon butterfly occurred all over the island throughout the year, while relatively abundant in mid country jungles. Its larva feeds on Adenia hondala [හොඬල/පොතු හොඬල] plants of family Passifloraceae. 

White Four-Ring (Ypthima ceylonica)

White Four-Ring is a common butterfly found in all elevations of the island in all the year round, while less common in higher hills. Its larva feeds on පොටු තණකොළ (Axonopus compressus) and Cyrtococcum trigonum of the family Poaceae

Blue Tiger(Tirumala limniace leopardus)

Very common butterfly found in open scrub lands throughout the island though very common in lowlands below 1000ft a.s.l . Larva feeds on leaves of Dragia volubilis (අගුණ). It takes part in migration.  

Indian Red Admiral (Vanessa indica nubicola)

Rather uncommon butterfly of the hill country, which seldom found below 900m a.s.l. However at certain times of the year it is very common in higher hilly areas like Horton plains, Hakgala, Nuwaraeliya, Haputhale,Pattipola etc. Its larva feeds on Girardinia diversifolia (ගස් කහඹිලියා/Giant nettle) and it ties the leaves into a ball about the size of an orange and pupae can be found inside this ball (Ormiston W. 1924) . Urtica urens is one of its another larval food plant which is an introduced herb, now naturalized in the home gardens and cultivated lands in the higher elevations.

Tawny coster ( Acraea violae)

Common butterfly of the Sri Lanka found in open areas and scrub lands throughout the island, whole the year round. But it is much common below 2000ft a.s.l. Its larva feeds on Ipomoea indica (Blue dawn glory), Passiflora foetida (Goat-scented passion-flower/Common passion flower), Passiflora suberosa (Corkystem passionflower/Indigo berry), Hybanthus enneaspermus and Adenia hondala (හොඬල/පොතු හොඬල)

Rustic (Cupha erymanthis placida)

An uncommon butterfly found in jungles throughout the island, while becoming rare in the higher hills. Its larva feeds on Flacourtia inermis (Livi-lovi),  Flacourtia indica (උගුරැස්ස), Scolopia acuminata, Scolopia pusilla (කටු කෑර/කටු කුරුඳු/කටු කෙන්ද) and Homalium ceylanicum

Nigger (Orsotriena medus mandata)

Common butterfly flies in southern part of the island from sea level to about 5000ft a.s.l. all the year round. It is scarce in the North. The eggs are laid on the under side of a blade of varies grass species of the family Poaceae and larva feeds on them such as Carpet grass/පොටු තණකොළ (Axonopus compressus),  Leersia hexandra (ලෙව්/Bareet Grass), Oryza sativa and Panicum maximum(ගිනි තණ/Guinea grass).

Common sailor (Neptis hylas varmona)

Very common butterfly flying throughout the year and abundant in everywhere of the island. It takes part in migrations. Larva feeds on

• Calopogonium mucunoides (Calopo)
• Desmodium heterocarpon (ඇත් උඳුපියලිය/Asian ticktrefil)
• Grona heterophylla (මහ උඳුපියලි/Spanish clover)
• Desmodium tortuosum
• Glycine max
• Phyllodium pulchellum
• Tadehagi triquetrum (බා‍‍‍ලොලියා)
• Vigna radiata (මුං/මුං ඇට/බූ මෑ/Green gram/Jerusalem pea/Mung bean)
• Pityranthe verrucosa
• Helicteres isora (ලීනිය)
• Sterculia zeylanica
• Mitragyna parvifolia (හැළඹ)
•  Celtis philippensis (මැදිතැල්ල) 
• Celtis timorensis (ගූරැන්ද/බූරැන්ද)
• Trema orientale(ගැඩුඹ/Charcoal Tree)
• Aeschynomene americana (Thornless mimosa)
• Arachis pintoi (Perennial peanut/Pinto peanut)
• Bauhinia purpurea (රත් කොබෝලීල/Purple orchid tree)
• Cassia fistula (ඇහැළ/Indian Laburnum/Shower of Gold)
• Centrosema pubescens (Butterfly-pea)
• Clitoria ternatea (නිල් කටරොළු/Blue butterfly pea/Butterfly bean)
• Codariocalyx motorius
• Dalbergia pseudo-sissoo (බඹර වැල්)
• Desmodium pryonii
• Pseudarthria viscida (ගස් ගොනික)
• Psophocarpus tetragonolobus
• Neustanthus phaseoloides
• Senna alata (රට තෝර/Candle bush/Candle stick/Rinworm shrub)
• Vigna hosei
• Vigna unguiculata (මෑ කරල්/ ලී මෑ/වඳුරු මෑ/Black-eye Bean/Cowpea)
• Nothapodytes nimmoniana
• Grewia bracteata
• Grewia damine (දමිණිය)
• Grewia helicterifolia (බොරු දමිණිය)
• Grewia orientalis (වැල් කෑලිය/වැල් මැදිය)
• Triumfetta pentandra (ඇපල/කපු කිනිස්ස)
• Urena lobata (පට්ට ඇපල/ඇපල/Caesar weed/Bur mallow)
• Gouania microcarpa
• Ventilago madraspatana (යකඩ වැල්)
• Wendlandia bicuspidata (රාවන් ඉදල/වන ඉදල/රත් වැනිදල)
• Microcos paniculata (කෑලිය/කොහුකිරිල්ල)
• Berrya cordifolia (Trincomalee wood/හල්මිල්ල)
• Erythrina fusca

Redspot Duke(Dophla evelina evelina)

Rather uncommon butterfly found in low country dry zone, often close to streams and rivers. According to the Woodhouse it is fairy common from January to March (Woodhouse L.G.O. The Butterfly fauna of Ceylon 1950). Food plant – Egg laying only observed so far on the leaves of Diospyros malabarica.

Peacock Pansy (Jumonia almana almana)

Common butterfly of low country paddy fields, chena cultivations and edges of tanks, becoming uncommon above the mid-hills. According to the D’abrera it is very hardy butterfly surviving even after the natural vegetation has been ruined by mankind. He elaborates that It is almost always the only butterflies found in vacant lots, deserted gardens, overgrown estates and the like (The Butterflies of Ceylon - D'abrera 1998). Larva of peacock pansy feeds on Yamazakia pusilla,  Hygrophila auriculata (ක‍ටු ඉකිරි/නීරමුල්ලිය),  Ruellia tuberosa (නිල් පුරුක්/Wayside tuberose/Minnieroot), Lindernia anagallis, Phyla nodiflora (හිරමන-දැත්ත/Frogfruit/Bank mat) and Lindernia antipoda (විල/Sparrow false pimpernel).

Gladeye Bushbrown(Nissanga patnia patnia)

Very common butterfly of southern part of the country, being less common in northern areas. Its larva feeds on Ischaemum timorense, Cyrtococcum trigonum and Isachne globosa(බටදැල්ල) of the family Poaceae.

Common Nawab (Polyura athamas)

Nawab is a fast flying rare butterfly from sea level to about 1500m elevation of hill country excluding extreme North.  Larva feed on Albizia chinensis (කබල් මාර/හුලං මාර), Calliandra surinamensis,  Senegalia caesia (හිඟුරු-වැල්), Acacia pennata (ගොඩ හිඟුරු), Ventilago madraspatana (යකඩ වැල්),  Albizia lebbeck (සූරිය මාර), Delonix regia (මල් මාර/රතු මාර/Flame tree/Flamboyant/Golden Mohur), Caesalpinia bonduc (කුඹුරු/කුඹුරු වැල්/කළු වවුලැටිය/Grey Nicker), Biancaea sappan and Falcataria moluccana (මාර). 

Angled Castor (Ariadne ariadne minorata)

Angled Castor is a common butterfly found all over the island in all the year round, though becoming scarce above 1200m. It is abundant in degraded vegetations. Its larval host plant is Thel Edaru (Ricinus communis), a plant which is widely cultivated to extract Castor oil. Hence the vernacular English name for this butterfly. However in Sri Lanka only three Tragia (කහඹිලියා) species are identified as its larval host plants (Tragia plukenetii, Tragia involucrata(Indian Stinging Nettle) - both Known as වැල් කහඹිලියා in Sinhala  and Tragia hispida)

. 

Club Beak (Libythea myrrha rama)

Club Beak is a locally common butterfly distributed in wet forested areas of hills from 600-1200 m a.s.l. It usually found near streams and wet roads. If disturbed, it only flies few meters and probably return back to the same location in a few seconds. It flies very fast but once settles on a flower or wet road or on a boulder in a stream, sits absolutely still few minutes. The larva feeds on celtis species of the family Ulmaceae (Celtis.philippensis [මැදිතැල්ල] and Celtis timorensis [ගූරැන්ද/බූරැන්ද]).

Cruiser (Vindula Erota)

Cruiser can be found in forest areas of all over the island though can’t be considered as a common butterfly. It is much common from May to September months of the year. It is frequently found mud puddling on wet patches on gravel roads and usually bask high up on trees, time to time taking short flights and returning to the same spot. Sexes are dissimilar and great variation can be seen of dry and wet zone forms. Males of dry zone form are much smaller than wet zone form and not bright orange as of wet season form. Its only confirmed food plant in Sri Lanka is Passiflora subpeltata an introduced and naturalized vine in the sub montane region.

Chestnut-streaked Sailor (Neptis jumbah)

Common butterfly flies from sea level to mid hills of about 500ft. Usually it rest with open wings unlike most other butterflies. It joins in the migratory flights in large numbers. Larva feeds on Bhesa nitidissima, Pterospermum suberifolium (වෙළන් /Fishing rod tree ), .Campylospermum serratum (බෝ-කෑර/ගෝ-කෑර), Prunus walkeri, Celtis philippensis, Bhesa ceylanica, Dalbergia pseudo-sissoo, Nothapodytes nimmoniana, Erythrina fusca, Berrya cordifolia, Psophocarpus tetragonolobus and Grewia carpinifolia

Common Tiger (Danaus genutia)

It is a common butterfly of all over the island all the year round but less common over 4000ft. The sexes are similar but the male has the scent-pouch on the hind wind which is more prominent in the under side as can be seen in the picture. Migratory species and it join on limited extends in the plights. The female of this butterfly is mimicked by the females of Common Palmfly (Elymnias hypermnestra) and Indian Fritillary(Argynnis hyperbius)  Larva feeds on  Cynanchum tunicatum (කන් කුඹල), Cynanchum annularium, Oxystelma esculentum, Pentatropis capensis, Vincetoxicum flexuosum and Ceropegia candelabrum

Baron (Euthalia aconthea vasanta)

Baron is a common butterfly found in all over the island up to about 3500ft in all year round. Larva of this butterfly feed on Mangifera psittacus (Mango/අඹ) and Anacardium occidentale (Cashew/කජු) both are extensively cultivated fruit trees (Nothopegia beddomei is also identified as its larval host plant). However both Woodhouse and Ormiston mentioned that it had not been recorded from Jaffna at that time even though mango trees are abundance in peninsula. It has a very strong flight and they are fond of mud puddling at wet road sides or on forest tracks. Frequently it comes to decaying

 fruits.