List of butterflies of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Last updated August 04, 2025

This article lists the butterfly species of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands . 219 species are found on the islands. This article uses British English throughout.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

Swallowtails (Family: Papilionidae)

Fourteen species of swallowtails are found on the islands.

Common clubtail (Losaria coon)
Andaman clubtail (Losaria rhodifer)
Common rose (Pachliopta aristolochiae)
Crimson rose (Pachliopta hector)
Common birdwing (Troides helena)
Common mime (Papilio clytia)
Andaman mormon (Papilio mayo)
Common mormon (Papilio polytes)
Lime butterfly (Papilio demoleus)
Great mormon (Papilio memnon)
Andaman helen (Papilio prexaspes)
Andaman swordtail (Graphium epaminondas)
Tailed jay (Graphium agamemnon)
Great jay (Graphium eurypylus)

Skippers (Family: Hesperiidae)

Forty-two species of skippers are found on the islands.

Brown awl (Badamia exclamationis)
Orange-tailed awlet (Bibasis sena)
Small green awlet (Burara amara)
Orange-striped awlet (Burara harisa)
Orange awlet (Burarajaina)
Common awl (Hasora badra)
Common banded awl (Hasora chromus)
Violet awl (Hasora leucospila)
White banded awl (Hasora taminatus)
Plain banded awl (Hasora vitta)
Common yellow-breasted flat (Gerosis bhagava)
Large snow flat (Tagiades gana)
Pied flat (Tagiades japetus)
Water snow flat (Tagiades litigiosa)
Andaman yellow-banded flat (Celaenorrhinus andamanicus)
Dark yellow-banded flat (Celaenorrhinus aurivittatus)
Common spotted flat (Celaenorrhinus leucocera)
Common small flat (Sarangesa dasahara)
Moore's ace (Halpe porus)
Forest hopper (Astictopterus jama)
Restricted demon (Notocrypta curvifascia)
Common banded demon (Notocrypta paralysos)
Small palm bob (Suastus minutus)
Tree flitter (Hyarotis adrastus)
Banded redeye (Gangara lebadea)
Giant redeye (Gangara thyrsis)
Andaman redeye (Erionota hiraca)
Dark-brand redeye (Matapa cresta)
Grey-brand redeye (Matapa druna)
Obscure-branded swift (Pelopidas agna)
Conjoined swift (Pelopidas conjuncta)
Variable swift (Pelopidas mathias)
Contiguous swift (Polytremis lubricans)
Paintbrush swift (Baoris farri)
Colon swift (Caltoris cahira)
Common dartlet (Oriens gola)
Malay dartlet (Oriens paragola)
Chinese dart (Potanthus confucius)
Large dart (Potanthus serina)
Broad bi-dent dart (Potanthus trachala)
Common palm dart (Telicota colon)
Plain palm dart (Cephrenes acalle)

Whites (Family: Pieridae)

Twenty-one species are found on the islands.

Common emigrant (Catopsilia pomona)
Mottled emigrant (Catopsilia pyranthe)
Orange emigrant (Catopsilia scylla)
Tree yellow (Gandaca harina)
One-spot grass yellow (Eurema andersonii)
Three-spotted grass yellow (Eurema blanda)
Small grass yellow (Eurema brigitta)
Common grass yellow (Eurema hecabe)
Psyche (Leptosia nina)
Yellow orange-tip (Ixias pyrene)
Common albatross (Appias albina)
Striped albatross (Appias libythea)
Chocolate albatross (Appias lyncida)
Lesser albatross (Appias paulina)
Nicobar albatross (Appias panda)
Lesser gull (Cepora nadina)
Common gull (Cepora nerissa)
Painted jezebel (Delias hyparete)
Dark wanderer (Pareronia ceylanica)
Indian wanderer (Pareronia hippia)
Great orange-tip (Hebomoia glaucippe)

Metalmarks (Family: Riodinidae)

One species of metalmark is found on the islands.

Two-spot plum judy (Abisara bifasciata)

Blues (Family: Lycaenidae)

Sixty-seven species of blues are found in the islands.

Burmese sunbeam (Curetis saronis)
Indian sunbeam (Curetis thetis)
Apefly (Spalgis epius)
Long-banded silverline (Cigaritis lohita)
Pallid oakblue (Arhopala alesia)
Broad-banded oakblue (Arhopala asinarus)
Centaur oakblue (Arhopala centaurus)
Spotless oakblue (Arhopala fulla)
Rosy oakblue (Arhopala alea)
Andaman tailless oakblue (Arhopala zeta)
Purple leaf blue (Amblypodia anita)
Acacia blue (Surendra vivarna)
Silverstreak blue (Iraota timoleon)
Yamfly (Loxura atymnus)
Violet onyx (Horaga albimacula)
Common onyx (Horaga onyx)
White royal (Pratapa deva)
Peacock royal (Tajuria cippus)
Banded royal (Rachana jalindra)
Chocolate royal (Remelana jangala)
Common tit (Hypolycaena erylus)
Brown tit (Hypolycaena thecloides)
Orchid tit (Chliaria othona)
Cornelian (Deudorix epijarbas)
Scarce guava blue (Deudorix smilis)
Plane (Bindahara phocides)
Malay red flash (Rapala damona)
Scarlet flash (Rapala dieneces)
Slate flash (Rapala manea)
Suffused flash (Rapala suffusa)
Indigo flash (Rapala varuna)
Ciliate blue (Anthene emolus)
Dingy lineblue (Petrelaea dana)
Rounded six-line blue (Nacaduba berenice)
Pale four-line blue (Nacaduba hermus)
Small four-line blue (Nacaduba pavana)
Large four-line blue (Nacaduba pactolus)
Jewel four-line blue (Nacaduba sanaya)
Violet four-line blue (Nacaduba pavana)
Banded lineblue (Prosotas aluta)
Tailless lineblue (Prosotas dubiosa)
Common lineblue (Prosotas nora)
Pointed lineblue (Ionolyce helicon)
Felder's lineblue (Catopyrops ancyra)
Elbowed pierrot (Caleta elna)
Straight pierrot (Caleta roxus)
Banded blue pierrot (Discolampa ethion)
Metallic cerulean (Jamides alecto)
Dark cerulean (Jamides bochus)
Common cerulean (Jamides celeno)
Glistening cerulean (Jamides elpis)
Ferrar's cerulean (Jamides ferrari)
Frosted cerulean (Jamides kankena)
Silver forget-me-not (Catochrysops panormus)
Forget-me-not (Catochrysops strabo)
Peablue (Lampides boeticus)
Common pierrot (Castalius rosimon)
Dark grass blue (Zizeeria karsandra)
Lesser grass blue (Zizina otis)
Tiny grass blue (Zizula hylax)
Indian cupid (Chilades parrhasius)
Quaker (Neopithecops zalmora)
Malayan (Megisba malaya)
Common hedge blue (Acytolepis puspa)
Gram blue (Euchrysops cnejus)
Lime blue (Chilades lajus)

Brush-footed butterflies (Family: Nymphalidae)

Seventy-three species of brush-footed butterflies are found on the islands.

Malay tiger (Danaus affinis)
Glassy tiger (Parantica aglea)
Dark glassy tiger (Parantica agleoides)
White tiger (Danaus melanippus)
Grey glassy tiger (Ideopsis juventa)
Chocolate tiger (Parantica melaneus)
Scarce blue tiger (Tirumala gautama)
Blue tiger (Tirumala limniace)
Dark blue tiger (Tirumala septentrionis)
Andaman tree nymph (Idea agamarschana)
Andaman crow (Euploea andamanensis)
Blue-banded king crow (Euploea eunice)
Spotted black crow (Euploea crameri)
Blue-spotted crow (Euploea midamus)
Great crow (Euploea phaenareta)
Striped blue crow (Euploea mulciber)
Double-branded crow (Euploea sylvester)
Common nawab (Polyura athamas)
Blue nawab (Polyura schreiber)
Tawny rajah (Charaxes bernardus)
Andaman palmking (Amathusia andamanensis)
Great duffer (Discophora timora)
Andaman palmfly (Elymnias cottonis)
Nicobar palmfly (Elymnias panthera)
Common evening brown (Melanitis leda)
Great evening brown (Melanitis zitenius)
Bamboo treebrown (Lethe europa)
Dark brand bushbrown (Mycalesis mineus)
Andaman bushbrown (Mycalesis radza)
Nicobar bushbrown (Mycalesis manii)
Long-brand bushbrown (Mycalesis visala)
Dingy bushbrown (Mycalesis perseus)
Smooth-eyed bushbrown (Orsotriaena medus)
Clear sailer (Neptis clinia)
Common sailer (Neptis hylas)
Chestnut-streaked sailer (Neptis jumbah)
Yellowjack sailer (Lasippa viraja)
Short banded sailer (Neptis columella)
Common lascar (Pantoporia hordonia)
Extra lascar (Pantoporia sandaka)
Andaman sergeant (Athyma rufula)
Commander (Moduza procris)
Clipper (Parthenos sylvia)
Andaman viscount (Tanaecia cibaritis)
Common baron (Euthalia aconthea)
Banded marquis (Bassarona teuta)
Small leopard (Phalanta alcippe)
Rustic (Cupha erymanthis)
Cruiser (Vindula erota)
Banded yeoman (Cirrochroa orissa)
Nicobar yeoman (Cirrochroa nicobarica)
Common yeoman (Cirrochroa tyche)
Large yeoman (Cirrochroa aoris)
Angled castor (Ariadne ariadne)
Banded dandy (Laringa horsfieldii)
Yellow pasha (Herona marathus)
Tawny coster (Acraea terpsicore)
Painted courtesan (Euripus consimilis)
Marbled map (Cyrestis cocles)
Common map (Cyrestis thyodamas)
Nicobar map (Cyrestis tabula)
Painted lady (Vanessa cardui)
Grey pansy (Junonia atlites)
Yellow pansy (Junonia hierta)
Peacock pansy (Junonia almana)
Blue pansy (Junonia orithya)
Malayan eggfly (Hypolimnas anomala)
Great eggfly (Hypolimnas bolina)
Danaid eggfly (Hypolimnas misippus)
Andaman oakleaf (Kallima albofasciata)
Autumn leaf (Doleschallia bisaltide)
Lurcher (Yoma sabina)
Red lacewing (Cethosia biblis)
Leopard lacewing (Cethosia cyane)

References

↑ "Butterflies of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2025-04-19.
↑ Cotton, Adam Miles; Fric, Zdenek Faltynek; Gupta, Inder Jit; Gasse, Paul Van; Inayoshi, Yutaka; Khew Sin Khoon; Kirton, Laurence G; Larsen, Torben B; Markhasiov, Maxim (2015). A Synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India. Butterfly Research Centre, Bhimtal & Indinov Publishing, New Delhi. doi:10.13140/rg.2.1.3966.2164.
↑ "A Naturalist's Guide to the Butterflies of India: Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka". www.nhbs.com. Retrieved 2025-04-19.
↑ Mohanraj, Prashanth; Veenakumari, K. (2011-10-06). "Butterflies of the Andaman and Nicobar islands: History of collection and checklist" . Zootaxa. 3050 (1): 1–36. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3050.1.1. ISSN 1175-5334.

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[1] "Butterflies of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2025-04-19.

[2] Cotton, Adam Miles; Fric, Zdenek Faltynek; Gupta, Inder Jit; Gasse, Paul Van; Inayoshi, Yutaka; Khew Sin Khoon; Kirton, Laurence G; Larsen, Torben B; Markhasiov, Maxim (2015). A Synoptic Catalogue of the Butterflies of India. Butterfly Research Centre, Bhimtal & Indinov Publishing, New Delhi. doi:10.13140/rg.2.1.3966.2164.

[3] "A Naturalist's Guide to the Butterflies of India: Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka". www.nhbs.com. Retrieved 2025-04-19.

[4] Mohanraj, Prashanth; Veenakumari, K. (2011-10-06). "Butterflies of the Andaman and Nicobar islands: History of collection and checklist" . Zootaxa. 3050 (1): 1–36. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3050.1.1. ISSN 1175-5334.

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