Blue Oak Leaf

         Blue Oak Leaf

 This is one of the interesting butterflies in the butterfly world. It’s because of its amazing wings, which are similar to a dry leaf both in shape and color. It is highly difficult to identify in low lit rain forest. They take to wings with the least disturbance, and splashing blue colors of the upper side of wings are really amazing. When they settle in a branch, it may be very difficult to you to trace this butterfly, though the tree or the branch is nearby to you, simply they vanish in the nature. This method of covering invisible is the adaptation of the insect which resembles some special object to which an enemy is indifferent. These butterflies have various types of color and pattern which help them to appear as a dead leaf. When it is chased by a bird, it flies and perch on a branch or a trunk of tree. Then, it flaps its body, as if it is a dry leaf of the tree, which is moving because of the wind. It makes the bird confuse and puzzling, and the bird, flies away as it is difficult find the butterfly.

 During the dry season, the upper side is indigo-blue in color. Underside simulating a dry leaf, Antennae dark brown; head, thorax and abdomen very dark greenish brown; beneath, the palpi, thorax and abdomen ochraceous earthy brown.

 During the wet-season they have a uniform pale blue of a slightly lighter or darker shade, varying individually, but not turning to white towards the costal margin as in the dry-season specimens. Underside: ground-color on the whole darker than in the dry-season form, but with the same coloring.

 South Indian Blue Oakleaf (Kallima horsfieldi)