The beautiful butterflies are flying jewels that adorn our surroundings. They can fascinate all nature lovers with their colorful, delicate wings. Certainly, Sri Lanka is one of the best destinations to witness the dazzling world of butterflies. There are over 245 species of butterflies in Sri Lanka, 23 of them being endemic to the country. Out of them, 76 species are threatened and one species is critically endangered. Thus, butterfly conservation by protecting existing habitats and upgrading degraded habitats is currently ongoing in Sri Lanka.
The butterfly migration is one of the most amazing things to see in Sri Lanka. This is a spectacular natural phenomenon that happens in the butterfly migration season from March to April. During this season, butterflies of the Pieridae family including the Albatross, Emigrants, and Gulls migrate in large numbers. This wonderful occurrence is visually looking like a large white or yellow cloud blown in the wind. Usually, these butterflies fly towards the holy mountain of Adam’s Peak.
Butterflies are distributed widely all over the island with a majority of endemic species restricted to the wet zone forests in the country. The best place to see butterflies in Sri Lanka is Sinharaja Forest Reserve where more than 100 butterfly species live. Other places include Yala National Park, Horton Plains National Park, Royal Botanical Gardens in Kandy, Knuckles Mountain Range, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, and Thalangama Wetland in Colombo.
In this post, we are going to introduce you to the most beautiful butterflies in Sri Lanka. Although there are so many butterfly species, here we have mentioned 20 common ones you’ll find in the country.
1. Sri Lanka Birdwing
Sri Lanka Birdwing (Troides darsius) is the national butterfly of the country. Definitely, this is one of the most beautiful endemics in Sri Lanka. Birdwing has been chosen as the national butterfly based on its large size, wide distribution, and attractive color pattern. They live in large numbers in the Sinharaja Rain Forest Reserve.
This large Sri Lankan butterfly has a wingspan spreading 165-180 mm. Their wings are mainly in two colors, glossy back forewings and bright yellow hindwings with a black margin. This dazzling appearance makes it one of the most attractive and hard-to-miss butterflies in Sri Lanka.
2. Ceylon Rose
The Ceylon Rose (Pachliopta jophon) is an endemic butterfly in Sri Lanka that belongs to the swallowtail family. Among all butterflies in Sri Lanka, Ceylon Rose is the only critically endangered butterfly species. It has faced a serious threat due to habitat loss in its preferred areas.
Ceylon Rose has black color wings adorned by white patterns. This large butterfly has a long tail on the hindwing. The forewing length of 60-64 mm. The forewing has three or four broad white streaks. The hindwing also has short streaks in white. These streaks are followed by crimson patches with black scales.
3. Common Rose
The Common Rose (Pachliopta aristolochiae) is a swallowtail butterfly belonging to the red-bodied swallowtails. It is a beautiful butterfly in Sri Lanka with velvety black wings. Their forewing has well-marked pale streaks and the hindwing has elongate white discal markings. There are one to seven crimson patches on hindwings.
It is common all over Sri Lanka except at higher elevations. This species has extraordinary characteristics to protect from predators. Due to its red body, slow peculiar flight, bright coloration, and patterns of the wings, it looks inedible and rarely gets attacked by predators. Moreover, it emits a nasty-smelling substance to further enhance its unappealing qualities.
4. Crimson Rose
The Crimson Rose (Pachliopta hector) is a large, attractive butterfly with colorful wings. They belong to the red-bodied swallowtails. Certainly, it is an extremely outstanding-looking butterfly in Sri Lanka. It can easily recognize from its black wings, the forewing’s broken white band, and the hind wings with a series of crimson spots. With its stunning beauty, the Crimson Rose butterfly is an incredibly interesting species to watch.
Above all, Crimson Rose has strong migratory habits during the peak of its season. Reportedly, it is flying from the southern part of India to Sri Lanka during migration season.
They are fond of flowers, particularly the nectar of Lantana flowers appears to be the most preferred one. These butterflies can fly up to 10 m to 15 m above the trees. They fly stronger and faster at high altitude, while it is sluggish and flapping near the ground. Crimson Rose prefer to bask with their wings spread evenly, occasionally in small flocks at heights.
One interesting fact is Crimson Rose butterfly habitually roosts for the nighttime in huge companies. Occasionally they are accompanied by some Common Mormons. While resting, the Crimson Rose Butterfly draw their front wings halfway between the back wings. The Crimson Rose lives in both the nature reserves as well as in the open country.
5. Common Mormon
The Common Mormon (Papilio polytes) is one of the most common butterfly species in Sri Lanka. It is a Jet-black butterfly belonging to the swallowtail butterflies. They are medium-size butterflies around 90–100 mm. The forewing has a series of white spots decreasing in size towards the apex. The hindwing has a complete band of elongated white spots.
Particularly, this is one of the butterfly species which show polymorphism. The females occur in three different morphs. The females have additional red markings on the hindwings. They show a big similarity to inedible red-bodied swallowtails, Common Rose and Crimson Rose. Thus, this appearance gives them protection from predators.
Their popular habitats are tropical rain forests, agricultural fields, and home gardens. Moreover, the Common Mormon drinks from puddles, streams, and other substances that carry moisture, when in need of water.
6. Blue Mormon
The Blue Mormon (Papilio crino) is a beautiful butterfly in Sri Lanka. Its hindwing is distinctly large and rounded. The upper surface of its forewing has a band of blue scales, while the hindwing is almost blue except for the basal parts and distal rows of black patches.
This butterfly prefers forest habitats including lush home gardens. This is one of the commonest ones among the butterfly species living in the Sinharaja forest. Although it spreads out commonly through the country, it isn’t found numerously in other areas.
7. Common Jay
The Common Jay (Graphium doson) is a black swallowtail butterfly widely distributed in Sri Lanka. They can be identified by the blue semi-transparent central wing bands that are formed by large spots. There is a marginal series of smaller spots.
The underside of the wings is brown with markings similar to the upper side but pale blue in color. Its hindwing has red markings, including a stripe along the inner margin. Especially, the males engage in mud puddling in large numbers on gravel roads and river beds.
8. Tailed Jay
The Tailed Jay (Graphium agamemnon) is a predominantly green and black butterfly that belongs to the swallowtail family. The butterfly calls as the Green-spotted Triangle, Tailed Green Jay, or Green Triangle. It is a common species in Sri Lanka.
Their upper side is black and their forewing with green markings. The patches are brighter towards the forewing base and turn yellowish towards the outer margin of the hindwing. Its underside is pale brown and green patches are not prominent. Unlike Common Jay, it is very rarely engaged in mud puddling.
9. Common Mime
The Common Mime (Papilio clytia) is a swallowtail butterfly found in Sri Lanka. This butterfly belongs to the black-bodied swallowtails. Its wings are velvety black and white throughout the wings, on both sides. The lower endings on white lines have an orange spot on their hindwing. These markings are prominent on its underside with an additional, marginal row of orange-colored spots.
The Common Mime prefers open vegetation. It can be seen in home gardens and thin forests. It is quite common species in the lowlands.
10. Ceylon Tree Nymph
Ceylon Tree Nymph (Idea iasonia) is a large black and white butterfly that considers as near threatened species in Sri Lanka. It has narrow, elongated, forewings. Both wings are silvery white with black patches on both sides. Its abdomen is white with a broad black dorsal line.
This is a forest-loving species, usually confined to the forests of the wet zone. The Tree Nymph is among the common and more interesting butterflies in Sinharaja Rain Forest, that inhabits the forest canopy. They live around bodies of water such as streams and ponds.
11. Common Lime
The Common Lime (Papilio demoleus) is a widespread swallowtail butterfly in Sri Lanka. It is tailless, unlike other swallowtails, with a wingspan of 80-100 mm. This butterfly call as the lemon butterfly or lime swallowtail. Their name refers to their hosts, which are usually citrus species such as the lime plants.
They have an elongated forewing and rounded hindwing. There are yellow patches, which become duller in older butterflies. On the top, it is black in color with an irregular yellow band and numerous white spots. Above all, there is a quite prominent red patch with blue edging on its hindwing.
This species is most abundant in dry habitats, but common in the wet zone. It has high environment tolerance and adaption to diverse habitats. The Common Lime butterfly prefers plains, wooded areas, and urban gardens.
12. Common Bluebottle
The Common Bluebottle (Graphium sarpedon) is a species of swallowtail butterfly that can be seen all year round in Sri Lanka. It can be instantly recognized from its black wings marked with turquoise blue markings that run across the wings.
Common Bluebottle is very swift and agile in flight. It inhabits the southwestern wet lowlands rain forests. The adult butterflies feed on the nectar of flowers. As well, the males habitually feed in groups at the edges of puddles.
13. Common Jezebel
The Common Jezebel (Delias eucharis) is one of the most common and striking butterflies of Sri Lanka. They have very colorful wings with hues of yellow, red, black, and white. Typically, the upper side is white with well-defined black veins, and the underside has a similar pattern. The hind wings have a bright yellow color with a series of vermillion red spots.
It is frequent in a wide variety of habitats including tropical rain forests, open woodlands, and flower gardens. They live in most parts of the island. It is one of the main butterfly species you’ll find in the Sinharaja Rain Forest.
14. Painted Sawtooth
The Painted Sawtooth (Prioneris sita) is a small butterfly of the family Pieridae. Their forewing is white and black while the apex is mixed with yellow color. The painted sawtooth has a much broader hindwing. The hindwing is rich chrome yellow with a series of large terminal vermillion-red spots. These spots are rectangular or truncated cone-shaped.
It looks quite similar to Common Jezebel with these yellow and white patches. To clarify, the spots on the margin of the hindwing are more squarish in the painted sawtooth, whereas in the Common Jezebel they are arrowhead-shaped.
One of the most common behaviors of the Painted Sawtooth is mud-puddling. But the common Jezebel never found mud-puddling. The painted sawtooth flies faster and inhabits dense forests.
15. Common Sailor
The Common Sailor (Neptis hylas) is a beautiful black & white butterfly in Sri Lanka. The upper side of the wings is black with three prominent white streaks.
The first white streak commencing from the base of the forewing is followed by two white spots which form a band. A basal line on the hindwing together with patches on the forewing form a second parallel band. Rectangular patches on the hindwing make up a third parallel band.
It has a characteristic stiff gliding flight achieved by short and shallow wingbeats. Common Sailor prefers sunny weather and is active during most of the day, except early morning and late afternoon. Therefore, it avoids the heat by resting in a closed wing position during the hot hours of the day.
16. Common Leopard
The Common Leopard (Phalanta phalantha) is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of 50–55 mm. This is a beautiful butterfly with a contrasting orange hue on the wings. Both wings are yellowish-brown in color, marked with black spots. The underside of the butterfly is glossier than the upper side.
They are sun-loving and avoid shade. These butterflies are commonly seen in the plains, gardens, and edges of clearings. They have active and sharp flight movements. Often seen mud puddling from damp patches in the ground, either alone or in groups.
These butterflies like to bask with wings spread wide open. It is common in dry areas and prefers dry weather. One interesting fact is their habit of chasing away other butterflies and guarding their territory as same as leopards.
17. Glassy Tiger
The Glassy Tiger (Parantica aglea) is a common butterfly at all elevations in the southern part of Sri Lanka. They can be seen all year round, while much plentiful from December to April. It is a slow and low-flying butterfly not rising more than 5 or 6 feet above the ground. Glassy Tiger prefers both scrublands and lush gardens full of flowers.
They are dark brownish-black in color, with glassy white markings. The forewing has a white streak that divides into two. There are two other broad lines that arise from the base of the forewing. There are some dustings above the cell, but they never form a distinct line.
18. Sinhalese Five-ring
Sinhalese Five-ring (Ypthima singala) is endemic to Sri Lanka. Their prominent feature is eyespots. Always, the forewing has a very large eye spot, while the hindwing has small spots. The large circular black eye spot in the forewing has two small white spots inside. This spot is outlined in a brownish-yellow line.
The hindwing has four small eye spots. The sizes of these spots may vary in each individual. Their upper side is greyish brown with a large white area on the hindwing. Most importantly, these eyespots help them to get protection from predators.
19. Sri Lankan Lesser Albatross
Sri Lankan Lesser Albatross (Appias galene) is a species of Pieridae, a small endemic butterfly in Sri Lanka. They can be found in large numbers around the island. They flock on the ground inside Yala and Kudumbigala-Panama wildlife sanctuaries during the migratory season. This butterfly gathering is one of the most gorgeous spectacles to behold in Sri Lanka.
They have a white dorsal surface with a black patch towards the margins of the forewing. Their color changes with the season and black patches are absent in the dry season. The forewing apex and the hindwing lower surface are creamy yellow, which becomes brighter in the wet season.
20. Common Silverline
The Common Silverline (Spindasis vulcanus) is one of the most attractive butterflies in Sri Lanka. It can be easily identified by two hairy tails on the hindwing and red-striped abdomen. The outer margin of the forewing is always red.
The upper side of the male is dark brown with orange-colored markings on the centre of the forewing. They have red bands on a pale-yellow background, where silver patches are embossed within these bands. Certainly, they are offering an eye-pleasing view to butterfly lovers.
To sum up, here we have bought you the details of the 20 most beautiful butterflies in Sri Lanka. Moreover, you’ll find many other butterfly species while traveling in the country. Certainly, these lovely butterflies are an invaluable resource to our country and it is essential that these species are conserved. Let’s do our best to protect these little angels for future generations!
Text by Magnificent Sri Lanka. Images from Wikimedia Commons, Pexel, and Facebook. All copyrights are reserved by original authors.
