Common Five Ring or Ypthima baldus

Kerala is home to 330 varieties of butterflies and 37 of them are native to this region. Most of these can be seen in the Western Ghats region.

The Common Five Ring or Ypthima baldus is one of the commonest butterflies found in Kerala’s backyards. It belongs to the Nymphalidae family and the subfamily of Satyrinae.

The upper side of the adult male is brown and both the fore and hind wings have terminal dark margins. More or less distinct sub basal and disc like dark bands can be seen on the wings. The fore wings have a large, slightly oblique, oval, bi-pupilled, yellow-ringed black, pre-apical ocellus.

In females, there is a distinct area surrounding the ocelli. On the underside, they have a paler colour than the males.

Common Five Rings are abundant in the sub Himalayan India from Chamba to Sikkim and Bhutan. Central India and Southern India are also home to these butterflies.