The Common Straight Swift is a small brown named for the straight row of four white spots on its hindwing. It lives across East and South Asia and is not found in the United States. Its caterpillars feed on rice, so in East Asia it is known as a rice pest.
Appearance
- Appearance
- A small brown butterfly with a forewing about 1/2–3/4 in (13–21 mm) long. Translucent white spots dot both wings, and four of them line up straight across the hindwing.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- rice fields
- grassy fields
- roadsides
- Range
- Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, Indochina, and the Himalayas. Not found in the US.
Behavior
- Activity
- A fast flier. Adults fly from early summer into fall, with several generations a year in warm areas.
- Overwintering
- In Japan it spends the winter as a caterpillar or pupa.
Life cycle
- Caterpillar food plants
- Grasses and sedges, including rice.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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