Butterflies ‹‹ Go Back

This is a very common species of Lycaenid butterflies seen through out the country. This tiny butterfly is found through Asia to Australia.

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

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

This tiny butterfly has a very interesting breeding biology. The females insert their eggs using specially adapted genitalia in to the flower buds of heir host plants. These eggs are covered with a gelatinous substance. The tiny larva that emerge from these pinhead sized eggs feed exclusively on the inflorescence of their host species. These butterflies are usually found in large numbers and often settle on damp places on the ground. The host plants include “Kala Wel/Bokala Wel” Derris scandens, “Pini Mara” Albizia saman, “Kottamba” Terminalia catappa, “Hinguru Wel” Acacia caesia, “Kobbe” Allophylus cobbe, “Maila” Bauhinia racemose, “Karapinchcha” Murraya koenigii

This is a very common species in Wilpattu and become numerous in April to May during the flowering season of Kala Wel Derris scandens. The large Rain Trees Albizia saman around our house in Wilpattu attracts thousands of these butterflies when they in bloom and within a few weeks the newly emerged Common Lineblues become the most prolific butterfly species in the area.