.A brown butterfly with yellow and white markings
above. The undersides have a purplish sheen in both
sexes and more prominently marked streaks on the males.
Its most distinctive feature is its snout, which is
quite long. These butterflies are sometimes referred to
as 'Snout butterflies'.
Similar species
The Beak - The upper and under sides of the hind wing
lack the white that is present in the Club Beak.
A butterfly of the hills above 1500 feet though it has
been recorded from lower elevations. It is uncommon and
never numerous. It is mostly encountered along gravel
roads through forests, or along rivers or streams with a
trickle of water.
One usually encounters this butterfly along forested
gravel roads when it is flushed by your foot steps. It
then flies a short distance and settles down abruptly.
Unless approached very cautiously, it repeats this
behaviour, until you have stalked it for a few hundred
yards or so, when you realize that you are been taken
for a walk! It is quite inconspicuous once settled, and
unless one keeps one's eyes on the 'ball', it is quite
difficult to locate and approach cautiously. It has a
characteristic flight with many variations built in to
it. At times, it flies rapidly, while at at other times
it hops or darts across short distances, and on other
occasions, it combines these with a short glide or sail.
I have never see it settle on flowers to nectar or any
other food source. |
