In flight, the beautifully contrasting
fluorescent blue and black is unmistakable. The sexes
are similar and cannot be distinguished in flight.
It ascends the hills to at least 5000 feet elevation.
Since cinnamon is one of its larval food plants, it is
sometimes very common in cinnamon plantations of the wet
zone. However, it has not been recorded as being a pest.
It is not uncommon in home gardens and secondary
forests.
The larvae feed on Cinnamomum zeylanica, Litsea sebifera,
Machilus odoratissima and the introduced Cinnamomum
camphora. The larvae are very sluggish and do not move
about a great deal. They stay at the center of the leaf,
quite well concealed by their green camouflage. Pupation
occurs on the underside of a leaf, stalk or small
branch. |
