Common Evening Brown (Wet Season Form)

Description:

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 hindwing 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 hindwing and are always outlined by a golden yellow ring. Dry season form: the ‘eye spots’ on the upper side of the hindwing 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.

Habitat:

In my backyard. Spotted at about 16:00(IST).

Notes:

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.