Terror in the grass

I was walking in the garden when I felt that I was being watched. I looked at a patch of grass to see a pair of wide eyes glinting with anger staring at me. The angry face was complete with a nose and a snarl showing white teeth.For a moment I was held by those eyes when the wind rustled the grass and the illusion dissolved in to an innocent butterfly...

This is how I met my fluttery friend known as the "White Four-ring" (Ypthima ceylonica) which probably gets its name from the white dots representing the glint of the "eye".



The wing span is about 2cm and they are mostly seen hovering close to the ground taking short flights frequently interrupted by stops. The larvae feed on grass and it is known to be endemic to south India and Sri Lanka.