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This is one of the most beautiful of our butterflies. It belongs to the Pieridae family and is found in South and South-east Asia.

The conservation status of this species is regarded as Least Concerned (National Red List 2012).

This is a species protected under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance as amended by Act No. 22 of 2009.

This is the most exquisite pieridae butterfly in the country. The bright watery-blue colour against the black background on the inner wings (recto) of the male gives this butterfly a striking appearance in flight. I have seen this butterfly in the dry lowlands of the country. I have seen it in the Jaffna peninsula and the Mannar Island in the north and Kumana National Park in the south. The highest altitude at which I have seen it so far has been at Meemure village in the Knukles forest reserve at 1310 meters. It is seen at most dry zone national parks and forested areas of the low country dry zone. The host plant of this species is Sudu Wellangiriya Capparis zeylanica. The female mimics the danaidae butterflies, which are poisonous to birds.

This is a commonly seen species in Wilpattu but is quite tough to photograph as one cannot get off the vehicle. On early mornings or just after a shower the males will settle on short bushes with their wings open to absorb the sun providing a rare opportunity for the avid butterfly photographer to get images of this butterfly from the vehicle.