Common Palmfly or Elymnias hypermnestra

Butterflies, the flying insects, are of the genetic order Lepidoptera belonging to one of the super families of Hesperioidea and Papilionoidea. They are remarkable for their striking colours and beautiful patterns on their wings.

Common Palmfly or Elymnias hypermnestra is one of the most widely distributed Palmfly varieties. It is the only one found in Southern India.Common in jungles and palm plantations, these butterflies are active throughout the year in Southern India.

The upper side of the Common Palmflies are blackish brown with purple gloss. The fore wings with a sub-apical blue or bluish green band have a marginal series of 3 blue spots. The hind wings are with a broad chestnut border. The under side is brown or grey or yellowish brown. There is an outer margin with a narrow, well-defined black border. The wingspan is 60 to 80 mm.

Common Palmfly usually avoids bright daylight and hardly comes to open places. They are weak flyers. They are seen settling for a long time on leaves and trunks of palm trees.

Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines are some other places where Common Palmfly is found.

Courtesy: http://birdwingtours.com/