Psyche
Leptosia nina
This butterfly flies incredibly close to the ground, rarely rising more than a few feet, giving it a distinctive, slow bobbing flight that resembles a drifting piece of paper.
- Scientific name
- Leptosia nina
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Pieridae › Leptosia
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Shaded forest understory, secondary scrub, damp grasslands, and suburban gardens.
- Diet
- Adults sip nectar from small understory wildflowers (like Asystasia); caterpillars feed on host plants in the Capparaceae family.
- Range
- India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines
- Size
- Wingspan of 25 to 50 mm
- Lifespan
- 2 to 4 weeks (adult stage)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Widespread pesticide use in urban gardens and the clearing of wild undergrowth and host plants.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. You can observe this butterfly from any distance. Do not attempt to catch or touch it, as its wings are incredibly fragile and losing wing scales can permanently impair its flight. If one lands on you, remain still and appreciate the moment until it flies away on its own.
Leptosia nina , the psyche , is a small butterfly of the family Pieridae (the sulphurs, yellows and whites) and is found in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. The upper forewing has a black spot on a mainly white background. The flight is weak and erratic and the body of the butterfly bobs up and down as it beats its wings. They fly low over the grass and the butterfly rarely leaves the ground level.
Photo: Cheongweei Gan, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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