Sinhalese five-ring (Ypthima singala)

The upper side is greyish brown with a large white area on the hindwing. The forewing has a large circular black spot with two minute white spots inside and it is further outlined in a brownish yellow line. The white spots have light blue lustre in newly emerged individuals. The hindwing has two or three small ‘eye spots’ above a wavy sub-marginal band. The dull brown background of the underside of its forewing is striated in white, while the colours are inverted on its hindwing. Females expose more white on the hindwing. The forewing has a very large ‘eye spot’, while the hindwing always has four spots. The sizes of these spots vary.

The White Four Ring frequently flies among grasses and rarely ascends to bushes. It feeds on grass flowers and also visits herbaceous flowers among the grasses. It flies in both shady and sunny conditions, and its flight is weak and slow. When it is alarmed, it suddenly opens up its wings to display the large ‘eye spots’. If the threat further proceeds, it flies into a thicket.

Commonly found all over the country, their numbers are quite low in the highest hills and the northern region. It is an inhabitant of open vegetation and avoids forests.

Grasses including Axonopus compressus, Cyrtococcum trigonum.