Common Rose

Description:

The upperside of male is velvety black. Forewing with well-marked pale adnervular streaks on the discal area that do not reach the terminal margin, the latter broadly velvety black; the streaks beyond end of cell extended inwards into its apex. Hind wing with elongate white discal markings in interspaces 2–5 beyond the cell. In dry-weather specimens these markings are very short and do not nearly reach the bases of the interspaces; beyond these a curved series of subterminal lunular markings in interspaces one to seven dull crimson irrorated with black scales, the spot in interspace one large, irregular, diffuse, margined interiorly with white. Common rose in Kolkata On the underside of the males, the ground-colour and markings is similar, but the red subterminal spots on the hind wing much brighter; it is not irrorated with black scales, better defined, the anterior four subquadrate, the next two crescentic, sometimes quadrate also, the spot in interspace one triangular and pointed. Antennae, thorax and abdomen above up to the preanal segment black; the head, sides of prothorax above, and of the whole of the thorax and abdomen beneath vermilion-red; anal segment vermilion-red. Females are similar to the males; they differ from the male only in the comparatively broader wings and this is most conspicuous in the forewing.

Habitat:

An excellent generalist which has adapted to a range of habitats, the butterfly has been found in congregations at lower elevations. The common rose is found up to 8000 feet in the Western Ghats and South Indian Hills, up to 5000 feet at the eastern end of the Himalayas but only up to 3000 feet in the northwest Himalayas. The butterfly is a common visitor to Indian gardens and can even be found in crowded urban areas It is widely distributed in Asia. Afghanistan, Pakistan, India (including the Andaman islands), Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Japan (south-western Okinawa only), Laos, Vietnam, Kampuchea(now Cambodia), Nicobar islands, peninsular and eastern Malaysia, Brunei, Philippines (Palawan and Leyte), Indonesia, and Taiwan. In China, it is distributed in southern and eastern China (including Hainan, Guangdong province), and Hong Kong. In Indonesia, it is distributed in Sumatra, Nias, Enggano, Bangka, Java, Bali, Kangean, Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, Flores, Tanahjampea, and Kalimantan. It is also recorded from Pune.