Baronet

Baronet

Symphaedra nais Forster NYMPHALIDAE

(= Euthalia nais ( Forster))

Photo Abha

adult upperside brownish orange. FW with 3 black bands and a large black spot. HW with large black spot at mid costa, a row of discal spots and black margin. Underside reddish brown. FW with 2 basal black spots, an oblique discal brown band and 4 brownish white spots. HW with a small crimson line at the base, 2 black bordered crimson spots , a transverse discal white band and a post discal series of black spots. Wingspan 60-70mm.

Abundant in drier forests, generally below 1000m in peninsular India and northwards up to Gujarat in the west, up to dehra dun in the north and up to sikkim in the east but scarce in the Nilgiris. Locally abundant during monsoon period. Flies very close to the ground with typical gliding and fluttering flight. Generally territorial, near its food plants. Fond of sunshine and comes readily to tree sap and rotten fruits. Also known as the red baron.

Larva

Dark green with 10 pairs of long, green laterally projecting, very delicate branched spines and a dorsal row of dark blue-bordered red spots. Feeds on ebony and sal.

Distribution

Endemic to India and Sri Lanka.