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BUTTERFLIES

Introduction

The butterfly population at Wilpattu is colourful and charismatic; with the park being home to both the largest and smallest species of butterfly in Sri Lanka. Most butterflies start their migratory pathway in the Northern side of Wilpattu, and large gatherings of butterflies, known as “mud-puddling” can be seen on wet sandy patches from November to February, where these insects extract nutrients and salts from the ground.

 

crimson-rose-butterfly

The major factors that govern the distribution of butterfly species in the island include climate, topography and vegetation types. Most butterfly species in Sri Lanka are distributed island-wide. Some species occur in more than one bioclimatic zone, while certain others are restricted in their distribution. The five butterflies mentioned below are restricted to the Arid Zone (North), and inhabit the Wilpattu national park

Butterflies at Wilpattu

The Wilpattu National Park hosts a variety of rich biodiversity.

Explore to find out more about the top 5 species of butterflies at the park.

Butterflies at Wilpattu

The Wilpattu National Park hosts a variety of rich biodiversity.

Explore to find out more about the top 5 species of butterflies at the park.

Charles J Sharp / CC BY-SA

Yellow Pansy

(Junonia hierta)

The Yellow Pansy has a wingspan of 42-45mm and are very rare to spot at the park. They inhabit the coastal line from Puttalam to Jaffna and are migratory species. There are no other similar species recorded in the country. The plants that host these rare butterflies are Barleria prionitis and Dyschoriste litoralis.

Shivam Bhatt / CC BY-SA

Large Salmon Arab

(Colotis fausta)

With a wingspan of 40-48mm, the Large Salmon Arab Butterfly are a rare find at the park. They are found in the arid zone and in the northern part of Sri Lanka. They are active during warm hours and both males and females are seen to use reflectance basking, which is when a butterfly uses its wings to reflect the sunlight rather than absorb it. The host plant for these rare butterflies is Maerua arenaria. There are no other similar species recorded in Sri Lanka.

Firos AK / CC BY-SA

Bright Babul Blue

(Azanus ubaldus)

The Bright Babul Blue butterfly is rare and found in the low country dry zone in northern parts of Sri Lanka. With a wingspan of 21-24mm. This butterfly species swiftly flies among small bushes and settles quite often, and its host plant is the Acacia nilotica, where it feeds on young shoots and flowers. A similar species to this butterfly is the African Babul Blue.

Crimson Tip (Colotis danae)

Crimson Tip

(Colotis danae)

The Crimson Tip butterfly has a wingspan of 40-50mm and is rare to spot at the park. It is found in the Arid zone only in the coastal belt from Puttalam to Jaffna and is active during warm hours of the day. There are a variety of host plants, to name a few, Cadaba indica, Capapris sepiaria 194, and other various plants of the Capparaceae family.

Charles J Sharp / CC BY-SA

The Joker

(Byblia ilithyia)

The Joker butterfly is found in the low county dry zone mainly, and on the coastal belt from Puttalam to Jaffna. They are swift flying species with a wingspan on 50-56mm, and exhibit boomerang flight patterns in response to disturbance. The host plants for this species are Tragia plukenetii.

Facts

The Ceylon Birdwing is the largest butterfly in Sri Lanka, and the Grass Jewel is the smallest.
The Wilpattu National Park represents 35% of the island’s entire butterfly fauna.
Mud-puddling is when large gatherings of butterflies extract nutrients from the wet sandy patches at the park.
Reflectance Basking, which is when a butterfly uses its wings to reflect the sunlight rather than absorb it
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crimson-tip-butterfly
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