Butterflies of
the Indian subcontinent
Brown-veined Caper White
Belenois aurota
FABRICIUS, 1793
Family - PIERIDAE
subfamily -
PIERINAE
Tribe - PIERINI
Belenois aurota taprobana,
Bundala,
Sri Lanka
Introduction
There are 30 species in the genus
Belenois, distributed variously across Africa,
Arabia, the Indian subcontinent, south-east Asia and Australia.
Belenois
aurota has a range extending across sub-Saharan Africa ( including
Madagascar ) and Arabia to the Indian subcontinent, and also occurs north of the
Himalayas in Turkmenia and Tajikistan.
The illustrated subspecies
taprobana is endemic to Sri Lanka and is much
brighter in colour than the other subspecies, which are generally creamy or
whitish on the underside.
Belenois aurota taprobana,
Weligaththa,
Sri Lanka
Habitats
This species is found primarily in fairly arid
habitats including deserts, steppes and thorn scrub, at altitudes between sea
level and about 1200m.
Lifecycle
The
larval foodplants include Capparis,
Maerua and Boscia.
Adult behaviour
This beautiful butterfly is
seen commonly in Acacia thorn scrub,
savannah, and open dry woodlands. It is also a regular visitor to
unkempt village gardens, where it can be seen perched on herbage
or bushes, basking on hazy or slightly overcast days, with it's
wings half open. When the weather is hot and sunny it rarely
settles, except when it occasionally pauses to nectar at
Tridax or other flowers. As dusk
approaches it seeks shelter amongst dense herbage, where it roosts
overnight.
Belenois aurota taprobana,
Weligaththa,
Sri Lanka
|
