Butterflies play an important role in pollination. The interaction between plants and butterflies and their co-existence is a wonderful example of co-evolution of plants and insects. Butterflies are most conspicuous among insects with beautiful colours. Hence they are known as the “flying jewels”.

Commom Bluebottle (Graphium sarpedon) - Family: Papilionidae
Habitat: It occurs in Southern India in the Western Ghats and in the Himalayas from Kashmir eastwards. Its global distribution extends over the oriental and Australian regions.
Larval host plants: Alseodaphne, Semicarpifolia, Cinnamomum Camphora, Cinnamomum Macrocatpam, Cinnamomum Malabatrum, Litsea Chinensis, Persea Macrantha, Millusa tomentosm, Polyalthia longifolia (Annonaceae, Lauraceac, Magnoliaceae)

Common Jay (Graphium doson) - Family: Papilionidae
Habitat: It occurs at lower elevations in the Sri Lankan and Southern Indian forests, including suitable localities in the Eastern Ghats and Satpuras.
It extends to Bengal and Assam in the east, the Himalayan foothills to the north and then throughout Southeast Asia.
Larval host plants: Annona lawii, Cinnamomum Macrocarpum, Magnolia grand flora, Michelia Champaca, Miliusa tomentosm, Polyalthia longifolia (Annonaceae, Lauraceae, Magnoliaceae)

Lime Butterfly (Papilio demoleus) - Family: Papilionidae
Habitat: It occurs throughout the year, but more commonly during the monsoon and post monsoon months. It is distributed throughout South and South East Asia and is common everywhere.
Larval host plants: Aegle Marmelos, Chloroxylan Swietenia, Citrus aurantifolia, Citrus grandis, Citrus Limon, Citrus sinersis, Glycosmis arborea, Murraya Koenigi, Ruta graveolens (Rutaceae)
Economic Significance: In places where Citrus varieties are extensively cultivated, it feeds exclusively on the crop plants and therefore is considered a pest. Sometimes, it can pose a serious problem to densities; they may devour a considerable proportion of the leaves and hence affect the production of fruits.

Common Emigrant (Catopsilia pomona) Family: Pieridae
Habitat: It occurs all over South and Southeast Asia and Australia. It is common wherever it occurs and in all seasons too. However, it is more abundant during the monsoon and post-monsoon months, progressively becoming less common in the winter and early summer, again becoming numerous just before the onset of the monsoon.
Larval host plants: Bauhinia racemosa, Butea monosperma, Cassia fistula, Cassia Siamea, Cassia tora. (Caesalpiniaceae, Fabaceae)

Mottled Emigrant (Catopsilia pyranthe) - Family: Pieridae
Habitat: It is abundant in the Deccan Plateau on Cultivated land, scrub grasslands and savannahs.It also inhabits the dry foothills at the base of the Western Ghats and other hill-ranges. It is active throughout the year, but most abundant during the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon months. It is distributed in tropical Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia and parts of Australia.
Larval host plant: Cassia auriculata, Cassiafistula, Cassia occidentalis, Cassiatora, Gnidia glauca, Sesbania bispinosa (Caesalpiniaceac, Thymelaeaceae)
Economic Signigicance: It is an occasional Pest on sesbania species and Cassia species.

Lemon Pansy (Junonia lemonias) - Family: Nymphalidae
Habitat: It is found almost throughout the year, although it is more numerous in number during the monsoon and post-monsoon months. It maintains some population in cold and dry season as well. It is distributed in the Indian subcontinent, extending up to Malaysia in the east.
Larval host plants: Barleria species, Cannabis Sativa, Corchorus Capsularis, Hygrophilla auriculata, Nelsonia Canescens, Sida rhombifolia (Acanthaceae, Malvaceae, Tiliaceae)

Peacock Pansy (Junonia almana) - Family: Nymphalidae
Habitat: It occurs commonly in the monsoon season. It is usually seen in shady places. It is distributed throughout the India. It is found near water bodies.
Larval host plant: Acanthus species, Barleria species, Gloxinia species, Hygrophila auriculata, Phyla nodiflora (Acanthaceae, Gesneriaceae, Verbenaceae)

Glassy Tiger (Parantica aglea) - Family : Nymphalida
Habitat: It is very common during monsoon and post-monsoon months and rare or locally absent in winter and summer. It is distributed through out South and Soutneast Asia except the Suda Islands. However, it avoids very dense forests and arial areas.
Larval host plants: Calotropis gigantean, Ceropegia bulbosa, Cryptolepis buchanani, Tylophora indica, Tylophora tennis (Asclepiadaceae)

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus) - Family: Nymphalidae
Habitat: It occurs throughout the Indian subcontinent. However, it occurs mostly in low elevations. It never occurs in large numbers, although it is common during the monsoon and just after it, but persists even through the summer. Its global distribution extends over Africa, most of Asia and parts of the Australian region.
Larval host plants: Asclepias Curassavica, Calotropis gigantiea, Crytolepis buchnani (Asclepiadaceae)

Striped Tiger (Danaus genutia) - Family: Nymphalidae
Habitat: It is common in scrub jungles, fallow lands around human habitations as well as dry and moist deciduous forests. It is most active from the pre-monsoon to the post-monsoon period but individuals may turn up in other seasons as well. It is distributed throughout the India and rest of the Indian Subcontinent, extending to Southeast Asia and Australia, but absent in New Guinea.
Larval host plants: Asclepias Curassavica, Ceropegia intermedia, Stephanotis Species, Tylophora tenuis (Ascle piodaceae)

Dr. I. Suryakala is Asst. Prof. of Zoology (Entomology) in Nizam College, Osmania University, Hyderabad. G. Sangeetha is a 2nd year B.Sc. student of Nizam College.