Early Stages of Psyche butterfly

The female butterfly lay eggs singly on the underside of the leaves of host plant. Initially, the egg is in bluish green color and changes to pale yellow when matured. It takes about 3 days to hatch.

Eggs of the Psyche butterfly

Early Stages of Mottled Emigrant

The egg hatches after about 2-3 days and the caterpillar emerged shows a white color for about 1 hour and turns to greenish color with a transparent body. The initial length of the first instar caterpillar is about 3mm which gradually grows up to 5mm within 1-2 days. 

Common Jezebel (Delias eucharis)

Family - Pieridae

Subfamily - Pierinae

Larval food plants : Members of family Loranthaceae

Wingspan of adult butterfly : 65-85 mm

Location : Divulapitiya, Western province, Sri Lanka

Common Jezebel

Psyche (Leptosia nina nina)

Family : Pieridae

Sub-family : Pierinae

Genus : Leptosia

Wingspan : 25-30 mm

Local host plant : Fringed Spider Flower (Cleome rutidosperma)

Location : Divulapitiya, Sri Lanka

Psyche butterfly

Mottled Emigrant (Catopsilia pyranthe)

Family : Pieridae

Genus : Catopsilia

Species : C. pyranthe

Wingspan : 65 mm

Host Plants: Uru tora (Senna sophera (L.) Roxb.), Ranawara [S] (Cassia auriculata)

Location : Divulapitiya, Sri Lanka

Camera : Nikon D3100, 18-55mm

Mottled Emigrant butterfly