Blue Admiral (Kaniska canace haronica)

Rather uncommon butterfly occurs in moist areas while more common in the hill country. Often found close to forest streams. It is a migratory species. Larva feeds on Smilax perfoliata (මහා කබරොස්ස) and Smilax zeylanica (හීන් කබරැස්ස). 

Black Prince (Rohana parisatis)

Black Prince is a locally common butterfly found in the forests from foothills to higher hills (From 500m-1200m altitude) while scarce in higher hills and lowlands. Its host plant is Celtis timorensis [ගූරැන්ද/බූරැන්ද]. The Black prince displays remarkable sexual dimorphism of male mostly black and female light brown. Also flight of male is swift and female’s is fluttery and weak. 

 

Clipper (Parthenos Sylvia cyaneus)

Clipper is a locally common butterfly in the wet zone forests from sea level up to about 1200m altitude. It has a very strong distinctive flight and usually flies at mid canopy level.  Its only known larval host plant in Sri Lanka is Zanonia indica.

Dark Evening Brown (Melanitis phedima)

An uncommon butterfly occurs from lowlands to about 3500ft elevations, particularly in the wet zone.  It flies mainly in the late afternoon and settles in the undergrowth during the day time. Dark Evening Brown is seldom seen out of jungles or well wooded home gardens. It feeds on rotting fruits and usually seen under fruit bearing trees even during the day time.  Larval host plants are grasses [Arundo donax, Cyrtococcum trigonum,  Panicum maximum(ගිනි තණ/Guinea grass),  Setaria barbat] and paddy (Oryza sativa). Its larva also fed on Carpet grass/පොටු තණකොළ (Axonopus compressus), Digitaria didactyla and Ischaemum timorense only when offered in the lab.

Chocolate Soldier (Junonia iphita pluviatalis)

Common butterfly found in open jungle areas of all elevations of the island all the year round. It takes part in migrations especially in November to December. Chocolate Soldier often settles on damp earth. Its larva feeds on Strobilanthes diandra (නෙළු), Eranthemum capense, Phaulopsis dorsiflora, Ruellia patula, Ruellia prostrata (නිල් පුරුක්), Dyschoriste nagchana and Barleria prionitis (කටු කරඬු/Yellow Hedge Barleria)

Tree Nymph (Idea iasonia)

An endemic and rare butterfly found in wet forests from lowlands to higher hills. Occurs rarely also in some Northern and Eastern dry zone forests. It is usually found near water streams and easily notice by its floating and sailing like slow flight, often high among tree tops. Its only known larval food plant is Parsonsia alboflavescens (කිරි අඟුණ/වල් අඟුණ)

Cingalese Bushbrown (Mycalesis rama)

An endemic and rare butterfly occurs in forested areas with bamboo in the low country wet zone.  The larva is believed to be feed on Ochlandra stridula (Bamboo/බට).

Commander (Moduza procris)

Common butterfly flies from lowlands to about 1500m. However it is much common in the hills from 500m to 1200m especially near rivers and streams in wooded areas and on jungle paths. Commander takes part in migrations and it is extremely swift in plight. It occasionally settles on wet patches on the road to absorb minerals. Its larva feeds on Mussaenda samana, Mitragyna tubulosa, Mitragyna parvifolia (හැළඹ), Mussaenda frondosa (මුස්සැන්ද/වෙල්-බුත්සරණ), Timonius flavescens, Uncaria elliptica, and Wendlandia bicuspidata (රාවන් ඉදල/වන ඉදල/රත් වැනිදල). Apart from that egg laying only was also observed on Gaertnera vaginans (පේර තඹල).

Common Evening Brown (Melanitis leda)

Very common butterfly found all over the island. It has a crepuscular habit and can be seen on the wing at dawn and dusk, though sometime active even day time in shady places. Under side of wings vary with season and wet season form is much darker than dry season form as shown in above figures. Common Evening Brown larva feeds by night on varies type of grasses [Arundo donax,  Eleusine indica (බැල තණ/වල්මල් කුරක්කන්/Goose Grass), Cenchrus ciliaris, Imperata cylindrica (ඉලුක්/Blady Grass/Spear Grass/Cogon Grass), Ischaemum timorense  Leersia hexandra (ලෙව්/Bareet Grass), Panicum maximum(ගිනි තණ/Guinea grass) Setaria barbata ] and paddy (Oryza sativa) of the family Poaceae. Its larva also fed on Carpet grass/පොටු තණකොළ (Axonopus compressus) only when offered in the lab.

Grey Pansy (Junonia atlites)

Common butterfly found in everywhere from lowlands to about 1000 m a.s.l. Grey Pansy is a migratory species and Ormiston noted that it appears up-country usually in October, before the regular flights begin, and the swarms only lasts a few days (Ormiston W., 1924). The larva feeds on Yamazakia pusilla, Limnophila repens (අඹවිල),  Hygrophila auriculata (ක‍ටු ඉකිරි/නීරමුල්ලිය), Lindernia anagallis, Lindernia crustacea, Lindernia antipoda (විල/Sparrow false pimpernel) and Limnophila indica. Its larva also fed on Strobilanthus diandra (නෙළු) when offered in the lab.

Tamil Yeoman/Yeoman (Cirrochroa thais lanka)

An uncommon butterfly found in lowlands to mid hills in all the year round. The male settles on the wet patches to absorb minerals and Ormiston has an interesting observation on this butterfly of thousands of males mud puddling on the first five miles of Wellawaya - Koslanda road in November (Ormistom W. 1924). Larva feeds on Hydnocarpus venenata (මකුළු), Hydnocarpus octandrus and Chlorocarpa pentaschista plants.

Common Treebrown (Lethe rohria)

Common butterfly found in hills (Between 500 and 5000ft) throughout the year. Scarce in lower elevations. It only flies very short distance at a time. No records available on its larval host plant or on early stages in Sri Lanka.

Indian Fritillary (Argynnis hyperbius taprobana)

An uncommon butterfly found in hills above 1500m throughout the year. It usually encounters in Patana lands close to forests. Its larval host plants are Viola betonicifolia (Violet) of family Violaceae, a very common weed of tea plantations. It also feeds on Viola pilosa of the same family. Indian Fritillary sometimes basks on pathways and streams, wings outstretched flat and usually coming to the same spot or flies short distance if disturbed. 

Dark-brand Bushbrown (Mycalesis mineus)

Dark-brand Bushbrown flies all over the island up to about 2500ft elevations. But it is much common in the low country grasslands. Larva feeds on Carpet grass/පොටු තණකොළ (Axonopus compressus) and Panicum maximum(ගිනි තණ/Guinea grass) of the family Poaceae. Dark-brand Bushbrown can be easily distinguished from the similar Common Bushbrown by four lower ocelli of hind wing. Four lower ocelli lie in a straight line of this species.

Danaid Eggfly (Hypolimnas misippus)

An uncommon butterfly found from sea level to about 3500ft a.s.l. It is particularly common in low country dry zone during the north east monsoon. It takes part in migrations. W. Ormiston noted that once he encountered thousands of them both male and female settling on the road from about the 36^th to the 28^th mile of  Wellawaya - Hambantota road while he was walking to Tanamalvila (Ormiston W. 1924). Female mimic the Plain tiger and most remarkable thing is, it mimics both forms of with and without subapical markings of the model (i.e. Plain tiger) . Its larval food plants are Asystasia gangetica (පුරුක්/Ganges primrose/Chinese violet), Blepharis integrifolia, Blepharis maderaspatensis (සමාදාන/Creeping blepharis), Dyschoriste madurensis, Ruellia tuberosa (නිල් පුරුක්/Wayside tuberose/Minnieroot), Portulaca oleracea (ගෙඳ කොළ/Moss rose/Sun plant/Common purselane), Dyschoriste nagchana and Portulaca quadrifida

Brown King Crow (Euploea klugii Sinhala)

Common insect flies all over the island throughout the year. Plentiful in dry zone and scarce in higher hills. It take part in migrations. Brown King Crow's food plant in larval stage are Streblus zeylanicus and Streblus asper of the family Moraceae. Brown King Crow is mimicked by female of the Great Eggfly, both sexes of Common Palmfly and Common mime.

Great Eggfly/Common Eggfly (Hypolimns bolina)

Great Eggfly flies all over the island particularly in forested areas. However it is common during the north east monsoon period. It takes part in migrations. Larva feeds on Ageratum conyzoides (හුලන් තලා/Goat weed/White weed), Synedrella nodiflora (Nodeweed), Sida cordata (බැවිල/Heart Leaf Fan Petals) and Urena lobata (පට්ට ඇපල/ඇපල/Caesar weed/Bur mallow). Egg laying was also observed on Phaulopsis dorsiflora but larva that emerged from these eggs refused to feed on it. Larva also fed on Sida rhombifolia (කොටිකන් බැබිල/බැබිල/Paddy's luceme) when offered. 

Single Branded Crow/Common Crow (Euploea core)

Very common butterfly found all over the island in all the year round. It takes part in migrations. Larva feeds on Adenium obesum (Desert Rose) ,Aganosma cymosa, Allamanda cathartica (වෙල් රුක් අත්තන/Golden trumpet/Yellow allamanda), Anodendron paniculatum,  Asclepias curassavica (කන් කුඹල/Wild Ipecacuanha/Mexican milkweed/Blood flower), Carissa spinarum (හීන් කරඹ), Cryptolepis dubia, Gomphocarpus physocarpus (Balloon Cottonbush), Hemidesmus indicus (ඉරමුසු/හීන්-ඉරමුසු), Ichnocarpus frutescens (ගැරඬි වැල්/ගෝපි/ප්‍රියවර්ණ), Leptadenia reticulata (ජීවන්ති), Mandevilla boliviensis, Nerium oleander (කනේරු/Oleander), Ochrosia oppositifolia, Parsonsia alboflavescens (කිරි අඟුණ/වල් අඟුණ), Pentalinon luteum (Wild allamanda/Hammock viper's tail/Sundial), Pentatropis capensis,  Ficus arnottiana (පතන බෝ/කවුඩු බෝ/කපුටු බෝ),  Ficus benghalensis (මහ නුග/නුග/Banyan/Krishna bo/Krishna's cup), Ficus benjamina (වලු නුග/Weeping Fig/Benjamin Fig), Ficus exasperata (බූ තෙදිය/සෙවන් මැදිය/Furniture Leaf), Ficus microcarpa, Ficus nervosa, Ficus pumila,  Ficus racemosa (අට්ටික්කා),  Ficus religiosa(බෝ) , Ficus tinctoria, Secamone emetica and Streblus asper, Egg laying also observed on Plumeria rubra (අරලිය/Frangipani/Temple tree)

  

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus)

A very common butterfly found all over the island in all the year round while commonest in the dry areas of the country. Its female occurs in two forms; one similar to the male and other with nearly all orange wings with dark margin and few discal spots only on the hind wings. Both forms of female are mimicked by the Danaid Eggfly. Larva feeds on Calotropis gigantea (එළවරා), Ceropegia elegans, Cynanchum alatum, Vincetoxicum cordifolium, Vincetoxicum iphisia, Vincetoxicum bracteatum, Asclepias curassavica (කන් කුඹල/Wild Ipecacuanha/Mexican milkweed/Blood flower), Gomphocarpus physocarpus (Balloon Cottonbush), Pentatropis capensis and Pergularia daemia (විස්සනි/මහමැදහන්ගු/Langali )

Common Bushbrown (Mycalesis perseus)

Common butterfly distributed throughout the island while abundant in the hills and scarce in the north. Larva feeds on Carpet grass/පොටු තණකොළ (Axonopus compressus) , Eleusine indica (බැල තණ/වල්මල් කුරක්කන්/Goose Grass),  Leersia hexandra (ලෙව්/Bareet Grass) and Oryza sativa (වී/Paddy) of the family Poaceae. Common Bush brown can be easily distinguished from the similar Dark-brand Bushbrown by four lower ocelli of hind wing. Four ocelli lie in a curved line of this species while those are in straight line of the Dark-brand Bushbrown.