''Lethe daretis'', the Sri Lanka treebrown, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is endemic and restricted to cloud forests of central highlands of

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

such as Horton Plains.

Description

Wingspan of adult is less than 30 mm. Sexes show sexual dimorphism. Male has dark brown dorsal surface, whereas female resemble female '' Lethe drypetis'' coloration. In male, a sub-marginal row of small black spots found on the hindwing. On forewing, yellowish brown patches appear near the upper margin. Ventral surface dark brown with purple tinge. All eye spots rounded. Eye spots on hindwing possess a yellow ring, which is lack on forewing eye spots. There is a whitish irregular oblique line on forewing. This white line is much broader in female. Host plant belongs to family

Poaceae Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...

such as '' Arundinaria debilis''.

References

External links

daretis Butterflies described in 1863 Endemic fauna of Sri Lanka Butterflies of Sri Lanka Taxa named by William Chapman Hewitson {{Nymphalidae-stub