The long-streak sailor is a black-and-white butterfly of East Asian mountain forests. When it glides with its wings held flat, the white bands line up into three neat stripes across the wings. It does not occur in the United States—it lives in Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, and the Russian Far East.

Appearance

Appearance
Wings are black above with three white bands and reddish brown below with the same pattern. The wingspan is about 2½ in (6–7 cm), and females are larger than males.

Where it lives

Typical habitats
  • Broadleaf and mixed forests
  • Forest edges
  • Mountain valleys
Range
East Asia: Japan, the Korean Peninsula, China, Taiwan (in mountains), and the Amur and Ussuri regions of the Russian Far East. It is not found in the US.

Behavior

Activity
It flies with a few flaps and then a long glide, often high among trees. Adults rarely visit flowers and often land on damp ground to drink.
Overwintering
As a caterpillar resting on a dead maple leaf that it ties to a twig with silk.

Life cycle

Breeding season
One generation a year, flying roughly May to August depending on region and elevation.
Caterpillar food plants
In Japan, caterpillars feed on maple leaves, including Japanese maple.

Conservation

IUCN Red List
NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed

More species to explore

Record what you meet and build your own collection

Your photos are kept with their date and place, and you can fill regional albums one species at a time.

Long-streak Sailor (Neptis philyra) — identification, habitat & look-alikes | Moeyo