Sunday, June 19, 2016

Pale Palm Dart (Telicota colon kala)

Rather rare butterfly inhabiting grasslands and open meadows of the Uva and Sabaragamuwa hills and drier areas of the Central province. It probably flies year-round. Ormiston in 1924 recorded it from Galle and Wellawaya and noted that it is very common at times in Haldummulla.  Its larva feed on an unidentified grass species (van der Poorten G. & van der Poorten N. 2016). As per Ormiston it also feed on Sugar cane/උක් (Saccharum officinarum) which is extensively cultivated for sugar production in some areas.

References
  • van der Poorten G. & van der Poorten N. 2016,  The Butterfly Fauna of Sri Lanka.
  • Ormiston  W. 1924, The Butterflies of Ceylon, H.W.Cave & Co., Colombo 1924, AES Reprint New Delhi, 2003