Pallas' sailer is a small black-and-white butterfly of forest edges that glides with its wings held flat between a few quick flaps. It lives across Europe and temperate Asia and isn't found in North America. It's also called the common glider.
Appearance
- Appearance
- Forewing length is about 0.9–1.2 in (23–31 mm). The upperside is black or blackish brown with a white band and white wedge-shaped spots on the forewing and two white bands on the hindwing. The underside is rusty brown with the same white pattern.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Forest edges
- Woodland clearings
- Trailsides
- Range
- Central and southeastern Europe, Russia, temperate Asia including the Himalayas and India, China, Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. It does not occur in the United States.
- Preferred conditions
- In Japan it is most common around lowland and hillside forests rather than on mountaintops.
Behavior
- Activity
- It flies with a few flaps followed by a flat-winged glide. Adults visit flowers and puddles more than tree sap.
- Overwintering
- It spends the winter as a small caterpillar.
Life cycle
- Caterpillar food plants
- Caterpillars feed on plants in the pea family. Recorded hosts include spring pea (Lathyrus vernus), black pea (Lathyrus niger), and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) in Europe, and kudzu and bush clovers in Japan.
Name and classification
- About the name
- Because it ranges so widely across Eurasia, it is split into regional , such as the Himalayan rusty sailer (N. s. astola). Some references also list it under the name Neptis aceris.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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