Butterfly

Common Grass Yellow

Eurema hecabe

Common Grass Yellow resting on a rock, showing brown spots under its wings

Scientific name: Eurema hecabe
Family: Pieridae, order Lepidoptera
Group: Butterfly
Wingspan: 33 to 50 mm

The little yellow butterfly you see in almost every patch of grass.

Spot it Bright yellow with a dark brown forewing border that dips in a notch; rust-brown speckles underneath.
Home Everywhere from Asia to Africa: fields, lawns and roadsides. It flies low and slow.
Caterpillar food Amaltas, cassias, sesbania, jungle jalebi and other pea-family plants.
Why it matters Large numbers sip minerals from wet soil and feed birds, lizards and spiders.

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