Crimson Tip (Colotis danae danae)

A common butterfly restricted to the thorn scrub and waste places along the northwestern coastal arid zone from Eluwankulam to the Jaffna.  It flies year-round though much common from October to January just after the first rain of the northeast monsoon. Crimson Tip is a very active insect and it flies rapidly closer to the ground among thorny vegetation. Its only known larval host plant is Cadaba fruticosa of the family Capparaceae.

Yellow Orange Tip (Ixias pyrene cingalensis)

Rather common butterfly flies all the year round, mainly in the dry zone scrub jungles, forests and waste places. It also occurs in the intermediate zone. Its numbers increase with the northeast monsoons. Males sometimes settle on wet patches on the roads and river beds. It is a migratory species and larva feeds on Capparis sepiaria and Capparis grandis of the family Capparaceae .

Plain Orange Tip (Colotis aurora)

Plain Orange Tip occurs only in coastal waste places and thorn scrub of the northern and north western part of the country. It is more numerous at the end of the north east monsoon though few may be seen all the year round. It flies usually closer to the ground. Its larva feeds on Cadaba fruticosa of the family Capparaceae.

Painted Sawtooth (Prioneris sita)

Rather rare butterfly of mid hill forests from 600 to 900 m elevations, while descending to 400 m a.s.l. along southern and southwestern part of the hills. This butterfly mimics the poisonous Common Jeseble by size, coloration and wing pattern as well as the behavior, especially in its style of flight. However if disturbed it immediately flies away with great speed.  Painted Sawtooth males often settles on wet patches on ground for mud puddling. Female rarely encountered and spends much of its time inside the forest. Its larva feeds on Capparis moonii

Great Orange Tip/Giant Orange Tip (Hebomoia glaucippe)

Largest Pieridae butterfly of the island with very fast flight. It often flies very high. Great Orange Tip occurs all over the country close to forest areas and in scrublands but much common in the dry lowlands up to about 100ft a.s.l. Larva feeds on Capparis mooni(රුදන්ති) in the hills and Capparis roxburghii(කලු ඉල්ලන්ගෙඩි), Crateva adansonii(ලුණුවරණ) and Capparis sepiaria(රිලා කටු) in the dry lowlands. Males settle on damp earth to absorb minerals. It is a migratory species and Ormiston mention about a flight of many thousands in November 1912 (“The largest flight I ever saw was in November, 1912. From south of Maho to Ambanpola, on the Northern line, the train passed for nearly half an hour through a swarm of many thousands” (Ormiston W., 1924))

White Orange Tip (Ixias marianne)

Common butterfly flies in the dry low country scrublands. Commoner in the northern part of the island especially in the Jaffna and Mannar districts though also occurs in the south and southeastern areas. Larval host plants are Capparis brevispina, Capparis grandis and Capparis sepiaria of the family Capparaceae .  

Common Albatross (Appias albina darada)

Common butterfly of the hill country. But not occurred in the very high elevations. It takes parts in migrations and also settles on wet patches on paths, river beds, etc. to absorb minerals in large numbers. Its only known larval food plant in Sri Lanka is Drypetes sepiaria.

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

Small Grass Yellow (Eurema brigitta rubella)

Locally common butterfly occurs in grasslands of the hills from 200-2200m asl. Its larva feeds on Chamaecrista leschenaultiana, Chamaecrista kleinii , Chamaecrista mimosoides and Chamaecrista nictitans (All Chamaecrista species are known as බිං සියඹලා in Sinhala)

Lemon Emigrant (Catopsilia pomona)

A very common butterfly occurs from lowlands to hills while becoming scarce in the hills above 1000m a.s.l.. It take parts in migrations and may be seen even in the higher hills during the migrations. Larva feeds on C. fistula[ඇහැළ], Cassia grandis, Cassia javanica (වෙසක් ගහ/Java cassia/Pink cassia), Cassia roxburghii (රතු වා/Ceylon cassia/Red cassia), Cassia alata (රට තෝර/Candle bush/Candle stick/Rinworm shrub), Senna didymobotrya [රට තෝර] and , Senna surattensis (Scrambled-egg-tree)  

One-spot Grass Yellow (Eurema ormistoni)

Rare endemic butterfly found in wet zone forests up to elevation of about 3500ft. As per Woodhouse "it can be taken in numbers at the right time-April and July to September..." (Woodhouse L.G.O.,1950). d'Abrera also noted that it has only been sighted at certain times of the year from April sporadically to September (d' Abrera Bernard, 1998). Above specimen was photographed at Ingiriya forest reserve (Dombagaskandha) in mid February. Its larval host plants are Ventilago madraspatana (යකඩ වැල් ) and Ventilago gamblei.

Mottled Emigrant/African Emigrant (Catopsilia pyranthe minna)

Common butterfly found in gardens and open areas, especially in lowlands and up to about 500m. It is a migratory species and during the migratory season (North East Monsoon period) it can be seen in all elevations of the island usually as swarms. It often use to settles on the underside of leaves so that it is difficult to distinguished it from the foliage. Also sometimes settles in swarms on damp earth to absorb minerals. It is now generally accepted that former African Emigrant (Catopsilia florella) is conspecific with C. pyranthe. Its larval host plants are  Senna sophera, Cassia fistula (ඇහැළ/Indian Laburnum/

Shower of Gold), Cassia roxburghii (රතු වා/Ceylon cassia/Red cassia), Senna alata (රට තෝර/Candle bush/Candle stick/Rinworm shrub), Senna auriculata (රණවරා/Matara Tea/Tanner's Cassia)

Senna didymobotrya (රට තෝර), Senna hirsuta (Stinking Cassia), Senna occidentalis (පැණි තෝර/Coffee Senna/Coffee Weed), Senna surattensis (Scrambled-egg-tree), and Senna tora (පෙති තෝර/Pot Cassia/Sickle Senna)

Three-spot Grass Yellow (Eurema blanda silhetana)

Three-spot Grass Yellow is a very common insect found in the low country wet zone and hills while becoming rare towards the North of the country. The larva feeds on Archidendron clypearia subsp. subcoriaceum (මිමිණි මාර), Entada zeylanica, Albizia chinensis, Albizia lebbeck, Albizia odoratissima, Archidendron bigeminum (කලටිය), Caesalpinia bonduc (කුඹුරු/කුඹුරු වැල්/කළු වවුලැටිය/Grey Nicker), Caesalpinia hymenocarpa, Cassia fistula (ඇහැළ/Indian Laburnum/Shower of Gold), Entada rheedei (පුස් වැල්), Falcataria moluccana, Senna alata (රට තෝර/Candle bush/Candle stick/Rinworm shrub), Senna surattensis (Scrambled-egg-tree), Calliandra surinamensis and Acacia decurrens of family Fabaceae. 

Blue Wanderer/Dark Wanderer (Pareronia ceylanica ceylanica)

Rather uncommon butterfly found in low country below 1800 ft a.s.l. all the year round while seldom also flies in the hills.  Its female occurs in three forms and those forms vary greatly in width of blue markings though all of them are darker than the male. One such form mimics poisonous Blue tiger and one of another form mimics Euploea species (Crows) -also poisonous- and by that escape from its predators. Its food plant are Capparis brevispina and  Capparis zeylanica (සුදු වෙළන්ගිරිය) of the family Capparaceae.

Lesser Albatross (Appias galene)

Lesser Albatross was a butterfly plentiful all over the island in all the year round (Ormiston W. 1924). Even during 1990s D’ Abrera mentioned it as “One of the very commonest butterflies on the island.... And one of the principal species that comprise the huge migrations of pieridae that sometimes fly across the country for days at a time” (D'abrera 1998). However today the situation is not so though still it is  a common species which found in intermediate to dry zones forests and in other elevations during the migratory season.  Its larva feeds on leaves of Drypetes sepiaria ( Egg laying was also observed on Drypetes gardneri leaves)

Little Orange Tip (Coltis etrida limbata)

Rather rare butterfly inhabits coastal areas of north of Chilaw and Tangalla to Hambantota of extreme south. However sometimes it occurs further inland in north. Those from southern areas are larger, darker and very richly colored. Its only known larval food plant in Sri Lanka is Maerua arenaria of the family Capparaceae. W. Ormiston noted of a specimen taken at cart road at Haldummulla, at least 50 miles from its usual haunts and he believed that it had pupated on a Hambantota salt cart and hatched out on the way to Haputhale. Similarly he doubted of specimens of etrida race might brought over from India on the native boats because in Mannar district specimens that are very close to typical etrida  may be taken in company with typical limbata.

Striped Albatross ( Appias libythea libythea)

Rather rare butterfly of dry low lands but found in all elevations during migratory season from November to December. W. Ormiston stated that it is abundant in the Hambantota district in March and May and in the Mannar in July, November and January. (Ormiston W. 1924). Males often mud puddles on wet places to absorb minerals.  Its larva feeds on leaves of Cadaba fruticosa, Capparis grandis, Capparis roxburghii and Crateva adansonii (ලුණුවරණ) of the family Capparidaceae  and Cleome aspera of the family Cleomaceae

Common Gull (Cepora nerissa evagete)

Common in low country drier parts throughout the year but can be seen all over the island including higher hills during the migration period. Sometimes it may be seen settled in hundreds on mud or wet sand to absorb minerals.  Its larva feeds on varies Capparis species such as Capparis zeylanica, Capparis sepiaria, Capparis tenera, Capparis brevispina, Capparis grandis, Capparis moonii, Capparis roxburghii, and Crateva adansonii (ලුණුවරණ ) of the family Capparaceae 

Spotless grass yellow (Eurema laeta laeta)

Rather uncommon butterfly, found all the year round in patana grasslands of mid hills (500ft to 3000ft).Spotless grass yellow is a migratory species and its larva feeds on Chamaecrista leschenaultiana, Chamaecrista kleinii , Chamaecrista mimosoides and Chamaecrista nictitans (All Chamaecrista species are known as බිං සියඹලා in Sinhala)

Chocolate Albatross (Appias lyncida taprobana)

Rare butterfly of southern low country of the island.  Flight fast and strong. Male often settle on damp earth. Its larva feeds on leaves of Crateva adansonii (ලුණුවරණ) of the family Capparaceae . Chocolate albatross is a butterfly which appears irregularly, being almost entirely absent in certain years.  According to the Woodhouse (Woodhouse L.G.O. The Butterfly fauna of Ceylon 1950) it can usually be ‘taken’ from May to October.