Saturday, November 12, 2011

Common Palmfly (Elymnias hypermnestra fraternal)


A common butterfly of low country up to about 1500ft elevations. Much common in areas where coconut cultivations are abundant since its larva feeds on varies plants of family Arecaceae (Palmae) such as Areca catechu (පුවක්/Betel-nut palm)Borassus flabellifer (තල්/Palmyra palm)Calamus rotang, Calamus thwaitesii (මා වේවැල්/වඳුරු වැල්/පුවක් වැල්/කත් වැල්), Caryota urens (කිතුල්), Cyrtostachys renda (Sealing Wax palm), Dypsis lutescens, Phoenix pusilla, Rhapis excelsa, Saribus rotundifolius  including Coconut (Cocos nucifera). Female Common Palmfly (shown in above picture) is very different from males and it mimic Plain tiger