Common Banded Awl

Common Banded Awl

Hasora chromus chromus ( Cramer ) HESPERIIDAE

(= Hasora alexis ( Fabricius ))

photo : Amber Habib

Adult

Upperside male dark brown without apparent markings except a faint, sub-basal, oblique black brand. Female pale brown. FW with 2 large semi-transparent yellowish white discal spots and a minute apical spot. Underside purplish brown. FW as above with bluish grey apex. HW with a narrow transverse discal bluish white band and black tornal patch. Wingspan 45-50mm.

A strong migrant and the commonest skipper, distributed all over India. Abundant in both plains and up to 2300m in the hills, especially in regions of moderate to heavy rainfall. Fond of basking in the sun with partly open wings. Visits flowers early in the morning. Male attracted to damp patches.

Larva

Reddish purple with light yellow dorsal tinge. Head large, square, yellow or reddish brown. Body oily glossy with a broad collar on segment 2, a dorsal dark line, lateral line, a broad marginal white-bordered yellow band and black spots on segments 5 to 9. covered with long white hairs. Feeds on Pongam.

Distribution

Covers the whole of oriental region, as well as the Papuan sub – region, Australia and the Bismarck Islands.