Common
Banded Awl is a rare butterfly found in forests all over the island but
particularly common in the wet zone and hill country while comparatively scarce in the
low country dry zone. It active at dawn and dusk though may be even appears day
time in dull days. It rests on the underside of the leaves and usually fly
short distance when disturbed to settle down again on the under side of another
leaf with its wings close over the backs. As per Ormiston it appears
suddenly in great numbers during the north-east monsoon (October- December) and
he believed it as a migratory butterfly since in October 1916 he noticed great
flights of large Hesperiidae on several evenings just before dark, all going
south (Ormiston W., 1924). Its
larval food plants are Pongamia pinnata(මගුල් කරඳ), Derris parviflora and Derris
scandens (කල වැල් )
