Common Butterfly Moth

The head, thorax and abdomen are dark yellowish and reddish brown. The wings are yellowish and reddish brown. The hindwings are more uniform reddish brown. On the underside, there are dark striations and both the forewing and hindwing have three grey spots in the discal cell. There are four pale rufous bands along the medial, postmedial, submarginal region.

This species ranges throughout the east and south-east Asian lowland of seasonal or tropical forests where the host fern species are abundant. Kobes (1990) recognized three subspecies, but Holloway (1998) treated all of them as the junior synonyms of the nominotypical subspecies and indicated there is great variation in size and colouration.

This species occurs in lowland forests, along the boggy areas where the feeding and host plants are dense. Shady, bushy habitats are preferable in day time but unusually can see outside the habitats. Rainy conditions, just after evening dark lights or early mornings are the most active time.