Common Butterflies of Sri Lanka

M
LC
Common Crow Euploea core
Brown King Crow Euploea klugii
M
LC
Nymphalidae
Male
The sexes are similar except for the sex brands. The upper side is dark brown and
lighter towards the margins. The sub-marginal spots vary greatly, although the spots
on the inner band are always larger than those on the outer band of the hind wing.
The background colour of its underside is uniform and the sub-marginal spots are
more distinct than those seen on the upper surface. Usually, the spots at the forewing
apex are arranged in an arc. Both wings have a white spot on each cell. The male
has a sex brand on the upper surface of its forewing in interspace 1b, resembling a
single light-coloured narrow streak on both sides of the wing. Females also have this
demarcation on the underside, even though they do not actually have a sex brand.
The sexes are almost similar. Its upper side is brown in colour, which fades to a lighter
shade towards the margins on both wings. The spots on the sub-marginal bands are
variable, but the spots on the inner band of the hind wing are bigger than the others.
Its underside is uniform in colour with prominent white patches. Occasionally there is
a purple tinge on the patches seen on newly emerged butterflies. There are no spots
on the cells of both wings. The male has an oval-shaped sex brand on interspace 1b of
the forewing, and it is demarcated by a purple-tinged patch on the underside, which
is also found in females. Males bare a large pale creamy patch on the upper surface of
the hind wing which is usually covered by the forewing.
Female
Nymphalidae
Like other Danaids, the Common Crow’s flight is moderately fast and males congregate
at plants which provide toxins. This is a migratory species.
This migratory species behaves like the Common crow in well-lit environments. It is
often difficult to differentiate the species from others when they are flying together.
This species is numerous in the dry zone and depend on open vegetation to feed
and search for mates. They also gather in large numbers in gloomy forests during dry
spells in the dry zone.
LFPs: 28 species of plants in the country including Hemidesmus indicus (bruqiq), Ficus
religiosa (fnda) and Cryptolepis buchananii (je,a rela w;a;k)
It prefers open vegetation such as scrublands and reservoir beds. Females can be seen
in the undergrowth of the forest to find suitable plants to lay eggs. Its main breeding
grounds are in the dry zone, but they appear in the wet zone during migration where
it occasionally forms breeding colonies.
LFPs: It is only found to feed on Streblus asper (ks;=,a,) up to now.
64 Common Butterflies of Sri Lanka
Common Butterflies of Sri Lanka 65