The sexes are similar, though the males
are often brighter in colour.
A very common widely distributed butterfly, and by far
the commonest of all Grass Yellows .It occurs from the
coastal plains to the highest hills and is found
everywhere, including urban areas.
It flies a foot or two feet above ground, rather weakly,
and moves about in its habitat with a continuous
fluttering of its wings. Females fly higher up in the
canopy when in search of larval host plants. It
frequently settles on small flowers to nectar and obtain
nourishment, but very rarely displays the upper side of
its wings. This makes field identification without
netting very difficult. It usually flies in the sun but
is not averse to partial shade. In the dry zone, during
the hottest part of the day, it seeks shelter in the
shady thickets and may be seen resting on the underside
of leaves. It congregates in large numbers on wet soil,
particularly during hot weather.
The eggs are laid singly on the leaves . The adult larva
is green, and it usually sits, and often feeds, along
the midrib of the leaf or leaflet. In this position, it
is well camouflaged from its many predators. Where
possible, it will consume the entire leaflet to avoid
leaving any clues for avian predators. Pupation occurs
on or near the host plant, usually lower down the plant
where it is more concealed. |
