Common Butterflies of Sri Lanka

M
LC
Common Evening Brown Melanitis leda
Tamil Tree Brown Lethe drypetis
S
EN
Nymphalidae
Wet Season Form
Dry Season Form
There are two distinct seasonal forms. The dry season form has a noticeably falcate
forewing apex. In both forms, it is more pronounced in the female. Wet season form:
The upper side is dull brown. The forewing has two ‘eye spots’ near the apex marked
in black with a bluish white centre. These spots touch each other and one is distinctly
large. The hind wing has two more clearly marked and separate ‘eye spots’ between
the tornus and the anal angle. The creamy underside is heavily mottled in dark brown.
The sub-marginal spots are more prominent on the hind wing and are always outlined
by a golden yellow ring. Dry season form: the ‘eye spots’ on the upper side of hind
wing are reduced or absent. The underside is highly variable, ranging from creamy
brown to dark brown with or without sporadic blackish patches and the ‘eye spots’
highly reduced. Intermediate colour forms also occur.
The Common Evening Brown is only active at dusk and dawn. It prefers to dwell on
the thicket floor. It feeds on rotting fruits and tree sap.
This butterfly is commonly found all over the country in every type of gloomy habitat
ranging from forests to home gardens.
The outer margin of the hind wing is serrated making a short tail at the tornus. Male:
Dark brown on the upper side with a few small, black sub-marginal spots on the
hind wing. The underside is dark brown, clouded with a purplish tinge. The spots on
interspaces 2 and 6 on the hind wing are equally large and rounded. The other ‘eye
spots’ are not rounded and have minute white spots throughout the black centre. The
‘eye spots’ on the forewing lack the golden brown rings. Female: A large portion of the
distal parts of the forewing is darker than the basal area on the upper surface, and has
two dull, white oblique bands. The black spots on its hind wing are more pronounced.
The underside is similar to that of the male except for the reduced intensity of the
purple scales, and the broad, irregular, oblique band across the forewing.
The Tamil Tree Brown depends on rotting fruits and tree sap. It occasionally opens its
wings to bask on cool days.
This forest-dwelling species is found under the shade of thickets, especially around
bamboo plants. It is a hill country butterfly, but declines in numbers at the highest
levels of elevation giving space to the Sri Lankan Tree Brown.
Female
Male
Nymphalidae
LFPs: Oryza sativa (f.dhï), Panicum maximum (.sks lS/iai), Setaria barbata.
LFPs: Davidsea attenuata, Bambusa vulgaris (WK), Dendrocalamus giganteus
86 Common Butterflies of Sri Lanka
Common Butterflies of Sri Lanka 87