Common Guava Blue

The Common Guava Blue, also known as the Woodapple Blue (Virachola isocrates), is a butterfly found across the dry, arid, and intermediate zones of Sri Lanka. It is not often seen because it mainly lives in the forest canopy. Its main host plant is the woodapple (Limonia acidissima), where the larvae bore through the hard shell to feed on the soft pulp inside. Interestingly, the caterpillar spins a web around the stalk of the fruit to prevent it from falling. Apart from woodapple, it also feeds on fruits like pomegranate (Punica granatum), catunaregam (Catunaregam spinosa), and guava (Psidium guajava), as well as plants such as tamarind (Tamarindus indica) and loquat (Eriobotrya japonica). In India, it is considered a pest of pomegranates. The butterfly’s main flight season is between June and September.

Males of the species have violet-brown wings with a glossy purple sheen and small orange patches that change visibility depending on the light. Their hindwings show a black anal lobe with pale scaling and a thin tail tipped in white. The underside is a mix of grey shades with bands of darker markings outlined in white. Females are more brown in color, but their orange markings are larger and more obvious than in males. Both sexes display delicate sub-marginal bands, with black-and-white-ringed antennae tipped with orange. With its subtle but striking appearance and its unique feeding habits, the Common Guava Blue is a fascinating butterfly, though rarely observed closely in the wild.