SKIPPER: Dark Beauty of Nature 

Indian Skipper, Spialia galba, Hesperiidae
Sipadol, Suryabinayak, Bhaktapur. September 20, 2020.

Spialia galba, the Indian grizzled skipper, is a hesperiid butterfly, found in South Asia, and parts of Southeast Asia.

The butterfly ranges from Sri Lanka, and India to the Shan states in northern Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and Hainan.

When sunny, the butterfly is found flying close to the ground and basking with the wings partly open. The forewing is partly closed while the hindwing is held fully open. It rests with its wings closed. It has a swift, twisting but usually short flight. The Indian skipper visits flowers, preferring those with small flowers such as Triax procumbens, (a common weed in India) and species of Dicplitera or Bidens. It sleeps on hanging grass blades and the tips of the branches of herbs.

This tiny butterfly measuring 20-25mm is often overlooked in the grass. It's flight is fast and hard to follow. Spialia g. usually found in open grass, rarely at water.