Saclava Sailor/Spotted Sailor

Description:

4-6 cm wingspan.

Habitat:

Urban park, close to Indian Ocean

Notes:

The common name "sailor" is due to the characteristic of stiff gliding. Their wing beats are rather short. Family Nymphalidae - Brushfoots or brush-footed butterflies encompass approximately 3,000 species worldwide. This is a very diverse family of butterflies, and they occur everywhere except the polar ice caps. Their unifying characteristic is the reduced forelegs of both males and females. The habit of holding the forelegs close to the body is shared with many other insects, including some bumblebees, flies, bugs and beetles.