Common Butterflies of Sri Lanka

S
VU
Sri Lankan Hedge Hopper Baracus vittatus
Indian Palm Bob Suastus gremius
S
LC
Hesperiidae
Male
In males, the upper side of the forewing is light creamy brown on the basal region.
Sometimes it has up to two creamy brown spots near the upper margin. The hind
wing is creamy brown with a broad band on the upper margin and a thinner band on
the outer margin in both sexes. The creamy brown patch on the forewing reduces into
few spots on the forewing in the female. The background colour on the underside is
generally rusty brown interspersed with lighter coloured veins. The hidden area of
the forewing is dark brown and is sometimes marked with few creamy brown spots.
The hind wing has a creamy brown straight stripe form the base to the outer margin.
It hops among grasses and its flight is not quick. When it is basking, it spreads its hind
wing flat and holds its forewing perpendicularly. It also feeds on herbaceous flowers
among grasses in this position. It is not found among grasses under heavy sun light
during mid-day. Males engage in mud sipping.
Common in the grasslands at the highest elevations in locations such as Horton Plains
and along the rail tracks in the hills, it is also found in ad hoc locations along forest
paths in the low country wet zone.
The sexes are alike but have some variations. It is dark brown on the upper side with
scattered golden brown scales near the forewing base. The Hyaline white spots on
the forewing are usually large but they can be small or very rarely even absent. It
has a yellowish patch near the lower margin of the forewing. The hind wing has no
markings. The dark brown background colour of its underside is not visible due to the
grey-brown scales. The hyaline spots on its forewing remain even on the underside,
and the yellow spot represented as a diffused white patch. It is easily distinguished
from other similar looking Hesperiids by the black spots on its hind wing. The number
and prominence of these spots vary significantly.
It has a fast flight that is typical to Hesperiids and is fond of the sun and readily comes
to flowers in scrubs. It can even feed on flowers with long corolla tubes since its
proboscis is long. It lowers its head towards the flower until it toches the petals when
the length of its proboscis is not adequate. When it is disturbed, it vanishes quickly.
This butterfly is common in all types of vegetation except dense forests. It is quite
abundant where coconut and other palms grow.
Hesperiidae
LFPs: Grasses including Garnotia exaristata.
LFPs: Palms including Cyrtostachys renda, Cocos nucifera (fmd,a), Phoenix pusilla (b|s)
128 Common Butterflies of Sri Lanka
Common Butterflies of Sri Lanka 129